Carlos Manuel Vila Nova (born 27 July 1959) is a São Toméan politician who is the fifth and current president of São Tomé and Príncipe, since 2 October 2021. He served as the minister of Public Works and Natural Resources (2010–2012) and minister of Infrastructure, Natural Resources and the Environment (2014–2018) in successive governments of Prime Minister

Patrice Trovoada Patrice Émery Trovoada (born 18 March 1962) is a São Toméan politician who was the 15th prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from November 2022 to 6 January 2025. He previously served as prime minister from February 2008 to June 2008, f ...

Early life and education

Vila Nova was born in Neves, a city in

Lembá District Lembá is a district of São Tomé and Príncipe, on São Tomé Island. Its area is , and its population is 14,652 (2012).São Tomé Island São Tomé Island, at , is the largest island of São Tomé and Príncipe and is home in May 2018 to about 193,380 or 96% of the nation's population. The island is divided into six districts of São Tomé and Príncipe, districts. It is located ...

. He received a degree in

telecommunications engineering Telecommunications engineering is a subfield of electronics engineering which seeks to design and devise systems of communication at a distance. The work ranges from basic circuit design to strategic mass developments. A telecommunication eng ...

from the University of Oran,

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

in 1985, then returned to become the head of the computer department of the government Statistics Directorate.

Career

In 1988, he left the civil service to become a sales manager at the Hotel Miramar, which was then the only hotel in the country. He was promoted to Director of the Hotel Miramar in 1992. In 1997, he became Director of the hotel Pousada Boa Vista, and also founded his own travel agency Mistral Voyages. Vila Nova continued in the tourism industry until he entered politics in 2010. Vila Nova served as Minister of Public Works and Natural Resources in the cabinet of

from 2010 until the government lost its majority in 2012. He was appointed Minister of Infrastructure, Natural Resources and the Environment when Trovoada's

Independent Democratic Action The Independent Democratic Action () is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It was established in 1994 by the then president Miguel Trovoada and is a politically centrist party. It took part in the 29 July 2001 presidential election ...

(ADI) regained the majority in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

.. In

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, Vila Nova was elected to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

Presidency

He was the

(ADI) candidate for the 2021 presidential election.. On 6 September, he was declared president-elect of São Tomé and Príncipe, receiving 58% of the vote and defeating Guilherme Posser da Costa of the MLSTP/PSD. On 14 September, he was declared president by the Tribunal constitutional court. On 6 January 2025, he dismissed Prime Minister

and his government, citing Trovoada's prolonged absences and his government's failure to solve multiple issues. Trovoada responded calling his dismissal "illegal" and "unconstitutional". He then selected then Minister of Justice, Ilza Amado Vaz, as prime minister. Vaz then resigned, stating in a letter that her continued leadership “would not contribute to the success of public policies and the harmonious and peaceful development.” He thereafter picked Américo Ramos, who was not endorsed for the prime ministerial role by the ADI, being criticized for ignoring the majority of the National Assembly.

Personal life

Vila Nova is married to Maria de Fátima Afonso Vila Nova and has two daughters.

Honours

* : ** 1st Class of the

Amílcar Cabral Order Amílcar is a Spanish and Portuguese male given name derived from Latin Hamilcar, itself a Punic name known to the Romans through their Ancient Carthage, Carthaginian foes, especially Hamilcar Barca. Notable people with the name Amílcar includ ...

– 2023 * : ** Grand Collar of the Order of Independence – 2024 * : ** PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Collar BAR

Grand Collar of the

Order of Prince Henry The Order of Prince Henry () is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese ''infante'' Prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of the Age of Discovery. M ...

– 2022

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vila Nova, Carlos 1959 births Living people Government ministers of São Tomé and Príncipe Members of the National Assembly (São Tomé and Príncipe) Independent Democratic Action politicians 21st-century São Tomé and Príncipe politicians University of Oran alumni People from Lembá District Heads of state of São Tomé and Príncipe