DILI, 22 April 2026 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s government has appointed Vice Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino to temporarily oversee the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture (MESCC) following the death of Minister José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo.
The announcement was made by Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Adérito Hugo, who said the late minister had “fez um bom trabalho na sua área de atuação” during his two years in office, adding that he “o conhecia de perto, mesmo antes de este integrar o atual Governo.”
Jerónimo died on Monday at the age of 53 after suffering a cardiovascular-related illness. He is reported to have experienced a heart attack in his office shortly after returning from Hera, where he had attended a ceremony at the National University of Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL).
He was taken to the National Hospital Guido Valadares, where hospital officials confirmed he had already died before arrival.
The government said Mariano Assanami Sabino will serve in an acting capacity until a permanent appointment is made.
The government has not yet said when a permanent replacement will be appointed.
Jerónimo had served in the IX Constitutional Government for more than two and a half years since being sworn in as Minister of Higher Education and Science on July 1, 2023.
Before entering politics and joining the Democratic Party, Jerónimo spent more than two decades as a lecturer at the National University of Timor-Lorosae (UNTL).
Jerónimo is the second minister in the IX Constitutional Government to die in office. The first was Justice Minister Amândio de Sá Benevides, who died of a heart attack on January 20, 2024.
Born on February 15, 1973, in Bazartete, Liquiçá municipality, Jerónimo built a long career in academia and public service.
He earned a degree in Development Studies in 2001 from the Mandala Institute of Technology and Science in Indonesia and later completed a master’s degree in the same field in 2010 at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana in Salatiga, Indonesia.
Vice Prime Minister, Minister Coordinator for Social Affairs and Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing, Mariano Assanami Sabino has expressed his condolences over the passing of the Higher Education Minister.
Assanami acknowledged Jerónimo’s service to the nation and extended his sympathies to the family.
“His dedication to the development of higher education in Timor-Leste will be remembered as a valuable legacy for the nation. My solidarity is with his family, friends and all those who feel this loss,” Assanami said in a Facebook post.
TATOLI
