Delfim Santiago das Neves (born 5 June 1965) is a São Toméan politician, currently serving as president of the

National Assembly of São Tomé and Príncipe National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

since 2018. On 25 November 2022 Neves was arrested on charges of leading the 2022 São Tomé and Príncipe coup d'état attempt.

Biography

Neves was born on 5 June 1965 in Conceião, located in

Caué District Caué is a district of São Tomé and Príncipe, on São Tomé Island. Covering , it is the largest of the nation's seven districts in terms of area. In population it is the smallest, with 6,031 residents (2012).São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe (; pt, São Tomé e Príncipe (); English: " Saint Thomas and Prince"), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe), is a Portuguese-speaking i ...

. He graduated at the

Federal University of Santa Catarina The Federal University of Santa Catarina ( pt, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC) is a public university in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Considered one of the leading universities in Brazil ...

. He has 4 children. Neves ran in the 2011 presidential election and finished third with 14.36% of the vote, behind

Evaristo Carvalho Evaristo do Espírito Santo Carvalho (22 October 1941 – 28 May 2022) was a São Toméan politician who served as the fourth president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 2016 to 2021. He was previously the prime minister of the country on two ...

and the eventual winner

Manuel Pinto da Costa Manuel Pinto da Costa (born 5 August 1937) is a Santomean economist and politician who served as the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He again served as president from 2011 to 2016. Life and career Educated in Ea ...

. In 2018, Neves became the president of the Democratic Convergence Party. He was elected President of the National Assembly on 22 November 2018, with 28 votes for his candidature, and 25 for his opponent, Carlos Cassandra Correia. In his inaugartion speech, he declared Alda do Espírito Santo and Francisco da Silva were his inspirations. Neves was a candidate for the 2021 presidential election, supported by his Democratic Convergence Party. He finished third with 16.88% of the vote, behind

Guilherme Posser da Costa Guilherme Posser da Costa (born 18 May 1953) is a São Toméan who served as the ninth prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1999 to 2001. Posser da Costa served as Minister of Foreign Affairs: 1987–1988, 1990–1991, and 1994–1996 ...

and the eventual winner

Carlos Vila Nova 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 ...

. He contested results alleging “massive electoral fraud” but was rejected by the Constitutional Court, with international observers praising the election. In November 2022, Delfim Neves was arrested for attempting a coup d'état. He, along with an ex-mercenary who attempted a previous coup in 2009, tried to attack the headquarters of the

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neves, Delfim 1965 births Living people Presidents of the National Assembly (São Tomé and Príncipe) Democratic Convergence Party (São Tomé and Príncipe) politicians People from São Tomé 21st-century São Tomé and Príncipe politicians Federal University of Santa Catarina alumni