Marcelino dos Santos
Encyclopedia
Marcelino dos Santos is a Mozambican
poet
, revolutionary
, and statesman
. As a young man he travelled to Portugal
, and Paris
, France for an education. He was a founding member of the Frente de Libertacao de Mocambique (FRELIMO -- Mozambican Liberation Front), in 1962; and served as the party's deputy president from 1969 to 1977. He was Minister of Economic Development in the late 1970s, Frelimo Political Bureau member in charge of the economy in the early 1980s, Chairman of the country's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, from 1987 to 1994, and, as of 1999, remains a member of the Frelimo Central Committee. He represents the left wing of the party, remaining an avowed Marxist-Leninist
, despite the party's embracement of capitalism
in recent decades -- an embracement which dos Santos declares is temporary.
He says that the "retreat" to capitalism was necessary in order to receive Western help in dealing with the RENAMO incursion and Civil War
.
Under the pseudonyms Kalungano and Lilinho Micaia, he published poems in O Brado Africano, and his work appeared in two anthologies produced by the Casa dos Estudantes do Imperio in Lisbon
. Under his real name, he had a book published by the Associacao dos Escritores Mocambicanos (Mozambican Writers' Association) in 1987, entitled Canto do Amor Natural.
Marcelino dos Santos is the son of Firmindo dos Santos and Teresa Sabino dos Santos. He was raised in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique (now Maputo
, Mozambique
). His father was politically active: a member of the African Association of Mozambique. Marcelino left Mozambique in 1947 to continue his education at the Industrial Institute in Lisbon - the Instituto Industrial de Lisboa. At the Casa dos Estudantes do Imperio (House for Students of the Empire) he rubbed shoulders with others destined to become leaders of the independence movement in th Portuguese colonies -- such as Amilcar Cabral
(Guinea Bissau), Agostinho Neto
(Angola
), and Eduardo Mondlane
(Mozambique). By 1950, with Neto arrested and Mondlane departed for the United States
, dos Santos had relocated along with several others to Paris. There he lived with writers and artists associated with the literary magazine Présence Africaine
. Under the pen-name Lilinho Micaia, a collection of his poetry was published in the Soviet Union.
He was instrumental in the formation of the Anti-Colonial Movement (MAC) in Paris in 1957. He joined the Paris branch of the Uniao Democratica Nacional de Mocambique
(UDENAMO), one of the nationalist groups that would later merge to form FRELIMO. He was involved in the founding of the Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies
(CONCP) at Casablanca
in April 1961, elected permanent secretary in charge of coordinating nationalist activity. He was skilled at communicating the aims of the CONCP to an international audience. After the founding of FRELIMO in 1962, in which dos Santos was also involved, he increasingly devoted his energies to that organisation. By 1964 he was FRELIMO's secretary for external affairs, invaluable to the party for his communication skills which he employed, for example, in his addresses before the Organization for African Unity, the Afro-Asian Solidarity Conference, and the United Nations
. After Mondlane's assassination, dos Santos was elected to the three-person Presidency council, with Uria Simango
and Samora Machel
, which guided the party through the subsequent difficult period. In 1970, when Machel assumed the sole presidency, dos Santos became vice-president.
Mozambique News Agency interview (accessed December 2007).
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
, and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
. As a young man he travelled to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France for an education. He was a founding member of the Frente de Libertacao de Mocambique (FRELIMO -- Mozambican Liberation Front), in 1962; and served as the party's deputy president from 1969 to 1977. He was Minister of Economic Development in the late 1970s, Frelimo Political Bureau member in charge of the economy in the early 1980s, Chairman of the country's parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, from 1987 to 1994, and, as of 1999, remains a member of the Frelimo Central Committee. He represents the left wing of the party, remaining an avowed Marxist-Leninist
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
, despite the party's embracement of capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
in recent decades -- an embracement which dos Santos declares is temporary.
He says that the "retreat" to capitalism was necessary in order to receive Western help in dealing with the RENAMO incursion and Civil War
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
.
Under the pseudonyms Kalungano and Lilinho Micaia, he published poems in O Brado Africano, and his work appeared in two anthologies produced by the Casa dos Estudantes do Imperio in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. Under his real name, he had a book published by the Associacao dos Escritores Mocambicanos (Mozambican Writers' Association) in 1987, entitled Canto do Amor Natural.
Marcelino dos Santos is the son of Firmindo dos Santos and Teresa Sabino dos Santos. He was raised in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique (now Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
). His father was politically active: a member of the African Association of Mozambique. Marcelino left Mozambique in 1947 to continue his education at the Industrial Institute in Lisbon - the Instituto Industrial de Lisboa. At the Casa dos Estudantes do Imperio (House for Students of the Empire) he rubbed shoulders with others destined to become leaders of the independence movement in th Portuguese colonies -- such as Amilcar Cabral
Amílcar Cabral
Amílcar Lopes da Costa Cabral was a Guinea-Bissauan and Cape Verdean agricultural engineer, writer, and a nationalist thinker and politician. Also known by his nom de guerre Abel Djassi, Cabral led the nationalist movement of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde Islands and the ensuing war of independence...
(Guinea Bissau), Agostinho Neto
Agostinho Neto
António Agostinho Neto served as the first President of Angola , leading the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in the war for independence and the civil war...
(Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
), and Eduardo Mondlane
Eduardo Mondlane
Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane served as President of the Mozambican Liberation Front from 1962, the year that FRELIMO was founded in Tanzania, until his assassination in 1969.-Early life:...
(Mozambique). By 1950, with Neto arrested and Mondlane departed for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, dos Santos had relocated along with several others to Paris. There he lived with writers and artists associated with the literary magazine Présence Africaine
Présence Africaine
Présence africaine is a panafrican quarterly cultural, political, and literary magazine, published in Paris and founded by Alioune Diop in 1947. In 1949, Présence africaine expanded to include a publishing house and a bookstore on the rue des Écoles in the Latin Quarter of Paris...
. Under the pen-name Lilinho Micaia, a collection of his poetry was published in the Soviet Union.
He was instrumental in the formation of the Anti-Colonial Movement (MAC) in Paris in 1957. He joined the Paris branch of the Uniao Democratica Nacional de Mocambique
National Democratic Union of Mozambique
The National Democratic Union of Mozambique was a nationalist organization founded in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia in 1960. It was led by Adelino Gwambe and consisted mostly of migrant workers and disgruntled students who had fled central and southern regions of Mozambique. It was formed to...
(UDENAMO), one of the nationalist groups that would later merge to form FRELIMO. He was involved in the founding of the Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies
Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies
Conference of Nationalist Organizations of the Portuguese Colonies was an organization for cooperation between the national liberation movements in the Portuguese colonies in Africa throughout the Portuguese Colonial War....
(CONCP) at Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
in April 1961, elected permanent secretary in charge of coordinating nationalist activity. He was skilled at communicating the aims of the CONCP to an international audience. After the founding of FRELIMO in 1962, in which dos Santos was also involved, he increasingly devoted his energies to that organisation. By 1964 he was FRELIMO's secretary for external affairs, invaluable to the party for his communication skills which he employed, for example, in his addresses before the Organization for African Unity, the Afro-Asian Solidarity Conference, and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. After Mondlane's assassination, dos Santos was elected to the three-person Presidency council, with Uria Simango
Uria Simango
The reverend Uria Timoteo Simango The reverend Uria Timoteo Simango The reverend Uria Timoteo Simango (born March 15, 1926 was a Mozambican Presbyterian minister and prominent leader of the Mozambique Liberation Front FRELIMO during the liberation struggle against Portuguese colonial rule...
and Samora Machel
Samora Machel
Samora Moisés Machel was a Mozambican military commander, revolutionary socialist leader and eventual President of Mozambique...
, which guided the party through the subsequent difficult period. In 1970, when Machel assumed the sole presidency, dos Santos became vice-president.
Sources
Bookrags Encyclopedia of World Biography (accessed December 2007).Mozambique News Agency interview (accessed December 2007).