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
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 ...
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
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) 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
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 ...
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
* :
**

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