Manuel Pinto da Costa

president of Sao Tome and Principe

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July 16, 2026

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Manuel Pinto da Costa served as the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe following its independence from Portugal in 1975. He was a leader of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP). Initially, his government adopted political and economic models similar to those in Eastern Europe. However, economic difficulties and public discontent led to a liberalization process starting in 1985, culminating in a multiparty democracy in 1990. Pinto da Costa was succeeded by Miguel Trovoada in 1991 but later returned to the presidency in 2011.1

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Sao Tome and Principe
After independence
The country’s first president, Manuel Pinto da Costa of the MLSTP, was elected in 1975. The government initially followed eastern European models of political and economic organization. Economic decline and popular dissatisfaction, however, led to a process of liberalization that started in 1985 and culminated in the establishment of…
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The country’s first president, Manuel Pinto da Costa of the MLSTP, was elected in 1975. The government initially followed eastern European models of political and economic organization. Economic decline and popular dissatisfaction, however, led to a process of liberalization that started in 1985 and culminated in the establishment of…
Read More