Former President of East Timor (2017-2022) Francisco Guterres has died at the age of 71. The government announced a seven-day national mourning, "Tatoli" news agency reports. The former leader of the Asian nation died in a medical facility in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, where he was receiving treatment.
During the period of mourning, from June 22 to 28, national flags will be flown at half-mast throughout the country and at East Timor's foreign diplomatic missions. Guterres was born in 1954 in Osso, Portuguese Timor (a Portuguese colony from 1586 to 1975). From 2002 to 2007, he was the speaker of the country's parliament. In 2017, he won East Timor's presidential election with 57.1% of the vote. During Guterres' tenure, the country's GDP grew by 15%, reaching $1.9 billion in 2020.
He ran for a second presidential term in 2022, but lost to José Ramos-Orta with 37% of the vote (his opponent got 62%).
