- In full:
- José Eduardo dos Santos
- Born:
- August 28, 1942, Luanda, Angola
- Died:
- July 8, 2022, Barcelona, Spain (aged 79)
- Title / Office:
- president (1979-2017), Angola
- prime minister (1975-1978), Angola
José dos Santos
-
Who was José dos Santos?
José Eduardo dos Santos served as president of Angola from 1979 to 2017. Coming to power after the death of President Agostinho Neto, he initially aimed to improve relations with the West, particularly the United States.
In the early 1990s, dos Santos abandoned Marxist-Leninism and initiated the withdrawal of Cuban troops. Despite a peace agreement with UNITA in 1991 and winning the 1992 elections, fighting continued until the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi in 2002.
Dos Santos' tenure was marked by increasing authoritarianism and corruption, enriching himself and his associates while many Angolans lived in poverty. Although he periodically discussed stepping down, he remained in power until 2017, when João Lourenço succeeded him. Dos Santos passed away in Spain in July 2022.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which country did José dos Santos lead as president?
José dos Santos served as president of Angola from 1979 to 2017. Succeeding President Agostinho Neto, Dos Santos initially aimed to improve relations with the West and, in the early 1990s, abandoned Marxist-Leninism. Despite these changes, conflict with UNITA persisted until the death of Savimbi in 2002. Although elections were slated for 1997, they were postponed due to ongoing conflict. Dos Santos remained president, facing criticism for alleged authoritarianism and corruption. He eventually stepped down in 2017 and was replaced by Jo\u00e3o Louren\u00e7o.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
When did José dos Santos become president of Angola?
José dos Santos became president of Angola in 1979, following the death of President Agostinho Neto. Dos Santos, pragmatic and flexible, initiated efforts to improve relations with the West and, in the early 1990s, abandoned Marxist-Leninism, ordering the withdrawal of Cuban troops. Despite these changes, conflict with UNITA persisted until 2002. Although elections were delayed, dos Santos remained president into the 2000s. He secured further terms through parliamentary elections, with his administration facing criticism for authoritarianism and corruption. Dos Santos stepped down as president on September 26, 2017, being replaced by João Lourenço.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What political party did José dos Santos belong to?
José Eduardo dos Santos belonged to the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). He joined the movement in 1961 and was a militant nationalist supporting independence from Portugal. After Angola achieved independence in 1975, the MPLA declared itself the government, establishing a single-party system. Dos Santos became Angola’s first prime minister in 1975. Following the death of President Agostinho Neto in 1979, Dos Santos came to power. He stepped down as party leader in 2018 and was succeeded by João Lourenço.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did José dos Santos influence Angola’s economy and government?
After Agostinho Neto's death in 1979, José Eduardo dos Santos became president of Angola. Dos Santos shifted away from Marxist-Leninism in the early 1990s and permitted multiparty elections. Despite a peace agreement with UNITA in 1991, fighting resumed after dos Santos won the 1992 elections, lasting until Jonas Savimbi's death in 2002.
Dos Santos' administration faced criticism for authoritarianism and corruption, allegedly enriching himself and his associates while many Angolans lived in poverty. A new constitution in 2010 eliminated direct presidential elections, allowing dos Santos to remain president until 2017. While Angola's oil-dependent economy grew, wealth inequality and human rights abuses persisted. Although he stepped down from the presidency in 2017, he remained head of the MPLA, retaining power until 2018.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What were some challenges and criticisms during José dos Santos’s presidency?
During José Eduardo dos Santos's presidency in Angola, which began in 1979, the nation faced significant challenges, including a protracted civil war with UNITA that lasted until 2002. Even after the peace agreement, the government struggled with rebuilding the country’s infrastructure and social welfare systems, resettling displaced citizens, and dealing with land mines.
Dos Santos's administration faced criticism for its increasing authoritarianism and rampant corruption. Allegations arose that he and his close associates used their positions to enrich themselves, which left many Angolans in poverty despite the country's oil wealth. His administration was criticized for suppressing dissent and targeting activists and journalists who raised concerns about corruption and human rights abuses.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
José dos Santos (born August 28, 1942, Luanda, Angola—died July 8, 2022, Barcelona, Spain) was an Angolan politician who served as president of Angola (1979–2017).
Early activity in the MPLA
In 1961 dos Santos, a militant nationalist, joined the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola; MPLA), which supported independence from Portugal. He was chosen by the movement to study in Moscow, where he trained as an engineer, specializing in the problems of the oil industry, an important sector of Angola’s economy.
After returning to Angola in 1970, dos Santos served as an active fighter with the MPLA’s Second Military Front in Cabinda, the oil province of Angola. A frequent representative of the MPLA at international forums, he was elected to the executive committee of the movement’s political bureau. After the country achieved independence in 1975, several groups vied for control of Angola, including the União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola; UNITA), which was led by Jonas Savimbi. The MPLA eventually declared itself the government, establishing a single-party system, though UNITA continued to stage guerrilla attacks. In 1975 dos Santos became Angola’s first prime minister, and three years later, when that post was eliminated, he was named planning minister.
Presidency
Following the death of President Agostinho Neto in 1979, dos Santos came to power. Pragmatic and flexible, he attempted to improve relations with the West, especially the United States, which did not recognize the MPLA-led government. In the early 1990s he abandoned Marxist-Leninism and ordered the withdrawal of Cuban troops that had been in the country since the late 1970s. The changes did little to appease UNITA, which intensified its attacks. In 1991 dos Santos signed a peace agreement with UNITA and agreed to multiparty elections. After he defeated Savimbi at the polls in 1992, however, UNITA resumed the fighting, which did not end until Savimbi’s death in 2002. As elections originally slated for 1997 had been postponed indefinitely because of the conflict and its aftermath, dos Santos remained president into the 2000s.
In 2007 dos Santos announced that parliamentary elections would be held in September 2008, while the presidential election would be held in 2009. The MPLA was victorious in the 2008 parliamentary elections; although there were reports of fraud and intimidation, the elections were deemed valid by international observers. The presidential election scheduled for 2009 was postponed. The next year a new constitution eliminated the direct election of the president and instead provided for the presidential post to be filled by the leader of the party with the largest share of the vote in parliamentary elections. The change meant that dos Santos would remain president at least until the next round of parliamentary elections, which were scheduled for 2012. Dos Santos secured another five years as president when the MPLA easily won an overwhelming majority in the parliament in the August 31, 2012, elections.
Dos Santos and his administration drew criticism for becoming increasingly authoritarian as well as for the rampant corruption for which Angola was known. Dos Santos allegedly used his decades in power to enrich himself, his family, and close associates at the expense of the rest of the country’s inhabitants, many of whom still lived below the poverty line.
The long-serving dos Santos periodically talked about stepping down, although he didn’t follow through on these declarations. His 2016 announcement that he planned to retire from politics in 2018 seemed to hold more weight than previous announcements, however, perhaps because at that point he was 73 years old and had led the country for almost 37 years. Many had long speculated as to who would succeed him, and names of potential successors included the Angolan vice president, Manuel Vicente, and two of dos Santos’s children—José Filomeno and Isabel. In late 2016, however, another name came to the fore: João Lourenço, a longtime member of the MPLA who was serving as vice president of the party and as the country’s minister of defense. In February 2017 Lourenço was confirmed as the party’s presidential candidate in the general election scheduled for August of that year.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
The MPLA was victorious in the August 23, 2017, general election, and Lourenço replaced dos Santos as president on September 26, 2017. Although dos Santos stepped down from the presidency, he retained power and influence by remaining head of the MPLA. In spite of this, many of dos Santos’s family and friends were removed from positions of power in the coming months as Lourenço moved to assert his authority and also embarked on a campaign to tackle corruption. Dos Santos had indicated his desire to remain head of the MPLA as late as April 2019, but he stepped down in September 2018 and was succeeded by Lourenço.