LUIS CABRAL

Luís Cabral was born on April 11, 1931, in Bissau, Portuguese Guinea, to mixed-race parents originally from Cape Verde. His early education took him to the Cape Verde archipelago, where he completed his primary schooling. He later received training in accountancy and furthered his studies in Bissau. During this time, he worked for a Portuguese company, Companhia União Fabril.

In 1956, Cabral became one of the founders of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). The PAIGC sought to liberate Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde from Portuguese colonial rule. In the early 1960s, the party shifted from non-violent activism to an armed struggle after a dock strike, which Cabral helped organize, was met with brutal suppression by the Portuguese authorities, resulting in significant loss of life. This event marked a turning point for the PAIGC's strategy and deeply affected Cabral.

Following the assassination of his half-brother Amílcar Cabral in 1973, Luís Cabral emerged as a central figure within the PAIGC. He led the party's efforts to achieve independence for Guinea-Bissau while Aristides Pereira took charge of the Cape Verde branch. When Portugal's Carnation Revolution in April 1974 led to a change in the Portuguese government, independence was formally granted to Guinea-Bissau on September 10, 1974, though the PAIGC had declared independence a year earlier. With this, Luís Cabral became the first President of Guinea-Bissau.

Under Cabral’s leadership, the country undertook a socialist-inspired program of national reconstruction with support from allies like the USSR, China, and Nordic countries. These efforts led to improvements in education and healthcare. However, tensions within the party, particularly around issues of ethnic and regional representation, persisted. Some factions accused Cabral and other leaders of Cape Verdean descent of dominating the PAIGC and the government.

This internal dissent culminated in a military coup on November 14, 1980, led by João Bernardo Vieira, Cabral's former Prime Minister. The coup resulted in Cabral's arrest and 13 months of detention, followed by his exile. He first relocated to Cuba, which offered him refuge, and later moved to Portugal in 1984, where he lived until his death.

During his years in exile, Cabral remained out of active politics. He considered returning to Guinea-Bissau after the civil war in the late 1990s, but concerns for his safety under Vieira’s regime kept him away. It was only after Vieira’s ouster in 1999 that Cabral returned to his homeland for a brief visit, emphasizing that he had no desire to re-engage in political activities.

Luís Cabral passed away on May 30, 2009, in Torres Vedras, Portugal, at the age of 78, following a long illness. His death was met with sorrow in Guinea-Bissau, where the National Assembly declared a period of national mourning in his honor, recognizing his role in the country's struggle for independence.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lu%C3%ADs_Cabral