Nicolau dos Reis Lobato

Nicolau Lobato
nominal President of East Timor
In office
December 7, 1975  December 31, 1978
Preceded by Francisco Xavier do Amaral
Succeeded by Sérgio Vieira de Mello as UN Administrator 1999–2002 / Xanana Gusmão as President 2002–2007
Personal details
Born December 7, 1952
Bazartete, Portuguese Timor
Died December 31, 1978 (aged 26)
Nationality East Timorese
Political party Fretilin
Spouse(s) Isabela Lobato

Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (7 December 1952 – 31 December 1978) was an East-Timorese politician and national hero.

He was born in 1946 in Soibada, Portuguese Timor. Lobato was prime minister of East Timor from November 28 to December 7, 1975. Upon the arrival of the Indonesian military Lobato, along with other key Fretilin leaders, fled into the Timorese hinterland to fight against the occupying forces. On the final day of 1978 Lobato was ambushed by Indonesian special forces led by Lieutenant Prabowo Subianto (later son-in-law of President Suharto). He was killed after being shot in the stomach, and his body was brought to Dili to be inspected by Indonesian press.

Nicolau Lobato was made an East Timorese national hero. The East Timor International Airport has been named in his honour (Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport).

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Mário Lemos Pires as Governor of Portuguese Timor (November 18, 1974 – November 27, 1975)
Prime Ministers of East Timor
(UDI government)

November 28 – December 7 1975
Succeeded by
Sérgio Vieira de Mello as UN Administrator (October 25, 1999 – May 19, 2002) and Mari Alkatiri (from 2002)
Preceded by
Francisco Xavier do Amaral
Presidents of East Timor – nominal
1975–1978
Succeeded by
Sérgio Vieira de Mello as UN Administrator (October 25, 1999 – May 19, 2002) and Xanana Gusmão (from 2002)