DILI, 22 April 2026 (TATOLI) – President José Ramos-Horta expressed deep sorrow over the death of José Honório da Costa Pereira Jerónimo, who died at the age of 53, describing it as a major loss for the nation.
Jerónimo died unexpectedly on April 21 after suffering a suspected heart attack in his office. He was rushed to Guido Valadares National Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Speaking to reporters in Dili, Ramos-Horta said the news came as a shock, saying that the minister had remained active in his official duties.
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, Honório spent more than two decades as a lecturer at the National University of Timor-Lorosae (UNTL).
José Honório da Costa Pereira 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 Honório’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
