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The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (Movimiento Popular de Libertação de Angola) is an Angolan political party that has ruled the country since independence in 1975.
MPLA was founded in 1956 by Angolan students in Portugal.
The party was one of three movements (MPLA, UNITA, FNLA) advocating Angolan independence from Portugal. Its core base includes the Kimbundu ethnic group and the mixed-race intelligentsia of the capital city, Luanda. It formerly had links to European and Soviet communist parties.
The armed wing of MPLA was FAPLA (Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola). FAPLA later became the national armed forces of the country.
A 1974 coup d'état in Portugal established a military government that promptly ceased pro-independence fighting in Angola and agreed to hand over power to a coalition of the three movements. The coalition quickly broke down and Angola broke down into a state of civil war.
The United States, Zaïre and South Africa intervened militarily in favor of the conservative FNLA and UNITA. In response, Cuba, backed by the Soviet Union, funneled resources to the communist MPLA. In November 1975, the MPLA had all but crushed UNITA, and the South African forces withdrew. The United States CongressThe United States Congress is the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The structure and responsibilities of Congress are defined in Article One of the United States Constitution. The United States Congress is bicameral, meaning tha barred further U.S. military involvement in the country.
Maintaining control over Luanda and the lucrative oil fields of the Atlantic coastline, the MPLA declared Angola's independence on November 11November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. Events 1215 The fourth lateran council meets, adopting the doctrine of transubstantiation, meaning that bread and wine are transformed into t, 1975, the day the Portuguese abandoned the capital. Poet and freedom fighter Agostinho NetoAntonio Agostinho Neto ( September 17, 1922 September 10, 1979) was the first president of Angola ( 1975 1979), a poet and nationalist leader. Born in the town of Icolo e Bengo in Angola, he became a prominent figure in the 1940s when he became an importa became the first president upon independence, and he was succeeded by José Eduardo dos SantosJose Eduardo dos Santos Became President September 10, 1979 Predecessor Agostinho Neto Date of Birth August 28, 1942 Place of Birth Luanda Jose Eduardo dos Santos (born August 28, 1942) is the current President of Angola. He became president in 1979, succ in 1979Events January-February January 1 Sino-American relations: United States and the People's Republic of China establish diplomatic relations January 4 State of Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of dead and injured in Kent State University shootings..
In 19761976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). Events January January 12 UN Security Council votes 11-1 to admit the Palestinian Liberation Organization January 15 Would-be Gerald Ford presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore is s MPLA adopted Marxism-Leninism as the party ideology.
In 1983 MPLA added Partido do Trabalho (Party of Labour) to its name.
Protracted periods of civil war and South African aggressions commenced until 2002, when UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi was killed. The two parties promptly agreed to a ceasefire, and a plan was laid out for UNITA to demobilize and become a peaceful political party.
In the 1992 elections MPLA-PT got 53.74% of the votes, and got 129 out of 227 MPs.
MPLA-PT is today a member of the Socialist International, and has renounced marxism-leninism.
Major mass organizations of MPLA-PT are: