Ilídio Machado

Ilídio Tomé Alves Machado (17 Decemberm, 1914 – August 28, 1983) was an Angolan politician, militant, and Telegraph employee who co-founded the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in 1956 and served as its first president until his arrest in 1959.

Early life
Machado was born in Novo Redondo on 17 December 1914 to Domingos José Alves Machado and Balbina Domingos as a member of the Kimbundu tribe with some Brazilian descent. Before entering politics, he was a Post Telegraph and Communications employee.

Activism
Machado was a high-ranking member of the Angolan Communist Party, and helped co-found the MPLA with Viriato da Cruz, Mário Pinto de Andrade, and Lúcio Lara on 10 December 1956 where he served as its first president until his arrest for "subversive activities against the Portuguese Government" in 1959, where he was succeeded by Mário Pinto de Andrade in an acting capacity until 1956 and then by Agostinho Neto.

Machado was arrested in Lisbon on 27 May 1959 and was tried in the Territorial Military Court of Angola where he was found guilty in 1961 and sentenced to 4 years in prison. Machado was released on parole in 1965.

Death
Machado passed away on August 28, 1983.

Legacy
Machado was honored by the MPLA in 2018 for his role in securing Angolan independence and was officially recognized as the party's first president. However, his designation as the first President of the MPLA is disputed, as some scholars view his role in the creation of the party as trivial.