DILI, 23 June 2026 (TATOLI) — Before dawn broke over Dili on Tuesday, thousands of people had already gathered outside Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, waiting for a flight unlike any other.
They were not there to welcome visiting officials or family members returning from abroad. Instead, they had gathered to receive and pay their final respects to former President Francisco Guterres “Lú-Olo”, a veteran of Timor-Leste’s independence struggle whose life was closely linked to the nation’s fight for freedom and its development as an independent country.
The 71-year-old former president passed away on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur after spending several weeks undergoing medical treatment.
Across Timor-Leste, people from all walks of life paid tribute to a leader many saw as part of the generation that helped win the nation’s independence.
A guard of honor comprising military and police officers welcomed the arrival of the body of the former head of state.
National flags were flown at half-mast as the country observed a period of national mourning.
Acting Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino, government ministers, state officials, veterans, and family members gathered to mourn the loss of one of the country’s most prominent independence figures.
Shortly after family members entered the airport and waited quietly for the flight’s arrival, an Aero Dili aircraft carrying the body of the former President landed at 6:43 a.m. local time.
The first cries could be heard from family members waiting near the tarmac. Some embraced one another as grief overwhelmed them, while others stood silently, watching the aircraft that had brought home a husband, father, grandfather, comrade, and national leader for the final time.
Among those who stepped off the aircraft was Lú-Olo’s daughter, carrying a framed photograph of her father. Nearby, his wife, Cidália Nobre Mozinho Lopes, was surrounded by relatives who comforted her as she mourned the loss of her beloved husband.
Also accompanying the family was former prime minister and FRETILIN Secretary-General Mari Alkatiri, who had been with Lú-Olo and his family during his final weeks of medical treatment in Kuala Lumpur.
As the coffin passed before them, family members reached out to touch it, while others made the sign of the cross and offered silent prayers.
Many had waited for hours since before dawn, hoping to catch a final glimpse of the man they had known as a resistance commander, political leader, and former president.
Among the mourners was veteran resistance fighter Riak Leman, who recalled years spent alongside Lú-Olo during Timor-Leste’s struggle for independence.
“We were together during the years of resistance in the mountains,” he said. “Our nation is free today, but we have lost one of the leaders who played a vital role in making that freedom possible.”
He encouraged young people to remember the sacrifices made during the independence struggle and to continue developing the nation.
The body of Lú-Olo will lie in state at his residence in Farol, Dili, where government officials, lawmakers, national leaders, veterans, family members and the public can pay their final respects.
He will be laid to rest on Friday, June 26, 2026, at the Garden of Heroes and Martyrs of the Homeland in Metinaro, Dili, the resting place of many of Timor-Leste’s leading independence heroes.
Journalist: Cidalia Fátima
Editor: Armandina Moniz
Translation: Filomeno Martins
