DILI, 20 August 2025 (TATOLI) – On the historic occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Forças Armadas de Libertação Nacional de Timor-Leste (FALINTIL), President and Nobel Peace Laureate José Ramos-Horta posthumously conferred the nation’s highest honors upon four heroes of Timor-Leste’s struggle for independence. The solemn ceremony was held at Tasi-Tolu.
Under Presidential Decree No. 82/2025, signed on August 19, 2025, at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace, President Ramos-Horta posthumously awarded the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste to the late President Nicolau dos Reis Lobato, known by his nom de guerre “Tau Fui.”
Additionally, Presidential Decree No. 83/2025, also signed on August 19, conferred the Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste upon three revered National Liberation Combatants: Joaquim Saldanha “Naha Berek”, Artur do Nascimento “Tripas”, and Dulce Cruz “Wewe Sahe”.
“Today, on the 50th anniversary of FALINTIL, we honor that constitutional mandate by recognizing the supreme leadership of President Nicolau Lobato and the immense courage of heroes like Joaquim Saldanha, Artur do Nascimento, and Dulce Cruz,” President Ramos-Horta stated. “Their legacy is the free and sovereign Timor-Leste we live in today.”
This ceremony marks a significant step in the State’s ongoing commitment to honoring all individuals who dedicated their lives to the independence of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
Journalist: Camílio de Sousa
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
