Francisco Guterres, a former president of East Timor and a prominent figure in the country’s struggle for independence, died on June 21 at the age of 71. He passed away while in intensive care at Prince Court Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to a statement from his family posted on his official Facebook account. The exact cause of death has not been disclosed.

Known by his nom de guerre “Lu Olo,” Guterres played a central role in East Timor’s fight against Indonesian occupation, which lasted from 1975 until 1999. Born on Sept. 7, 1954, in Ossu, Viqueque District, then part of Portuguese Timor, he was a guerrilla commander and senior leader of Fretilin, the left-wing political party that led the resistance movement. Following the 1999 United Nations-backed referendum that favored independence, Guterres became a key figure in the nation’s transition to sovereignty.

He served as president of the Constituent Assembly in 2001, overseeing the drafting of East Timor’s constitution, and became the first speaker of the National Parliament after independence was formally established in 2002. After multiple attempts, Guterres was elected president in 2017, serving a single five-year term before losing his bid for re-election in 2022 to José Ramos-Horta, a fellow independence activist.

Fretilin described his death as a “profound loss” for those committed to building a free and democratic Timor Leste. The party underscored his lifelong dedication to national unity, political stability, dialogue, and peace. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also expressed condolences, acknowledging Guterres's enduring commitment to his people’s freedom and the democratic development of the young nation.

East Timor’s government has declared a seven-day period of national mourning, with flags lowered at all public buildings and diplomatic missions abroad. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Guterres is survived by his wife, Cidália Lopes Nobre Mouzinho Guterres, and their children.