Ana Paula Cristovão Lemos dos Santos ([ˈɐnɐ ˈpawlɐ ðuʃ ˈsɐ̃tuʃ]; born 17 October 1963) is the widow of former president of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos. She was Angola's First lady from 1991 to 2017.

Ana Paula dos Santos
First Lady of Angola
In office
17 May 1991 – 26 September 2017
PresidentJosé Eduardo dos Santos
Preceded byTatiana Kukanova
Succeeded byAna Dias Lourenço
Personal details
Born (1963-10-17) 17 October 1963 (age 60)
Luanda, Angola
Political partyPopular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
SpouseJosé Eduardo dos Santos
ChildrenEduane Danilo dos Santos (born 1991)
Joseana dos Santos (born 1995)
Eduardo Breno dos Santos (born 1998)
Alma materAgostinho Neto University

Early life and education edit

Ana Paula Cristovão Lemos dos Santos was born in Luanda, Angola in 1963. She was a fashion model and air hostess on the Angolan presidential aircraft, when she met her future husband José Eduardo dos Santos during the time she was working on presidential flights.[citation needed]

Career edit

Between 1990 and 1994, she completed a state teacher training at the National Institute of Education, Luanda.[citation needed] Later she completed a course of law at the Faculty of Law of the Agostinho Neto University.[citation needed] She was Angola's First lady from 1991 to 2017.

Personal life edit

Cristovão Lemos married José Eduardo dos Santos on 17 May 1991 and is mother of three children, Eduane Danilo dos Santos (born 29 September 1991), Joseana dos Santos (born 5 April 1995) and Eduardo Breno dos Santos (born 2 October 1998).[1]

A diplomat described the president and first lady as: "a handsome couple, elegantly and expensively dressed, looking for all the world as though they're living in southern California."[2] In 1997, Ana Paula undiplomatically announced that her five-year-old son would enroll at the Portuguese school in Luanda because of the "bad quality" of state education (for which many hold her husband responsible).[citation needed] She has also tried to make her presence felt in administrative matters; a move which has irritated the political mainstream.[citation needed] Also under fire are her business interests, particularly diamonds.[citation needed]

Dos Santos is a patron of the Committee to support rural women (COMUR), supporting with micro-credit funds.[citation needed] She represented her country at the Micro-credit Summit for Heads of States and Governments in Washington, D.C., in 1997.[citation needed]

Dos Santos supports landmine victims. She founded the Lwini Foundation for social solidarity which is dedicated to the support of civilians, particularly women and children.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ "Ana Paula dos Santos (in Portuguese)". CLUB K. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Ana Paula Dos Santos | Who's Who Profile | Africa Confidential". www.africa-confidential.com. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  3. ^ "Founding members of Lwini Fund (in Portuguese)". lwini.og.ao. 12 March 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2024.

External links edit