Spanish court awards custody of Dos Santos' body to widow
Former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos. He died in July this year.
A Spanish court has allowed the body of Angola’s former president José Eduardo dos Santos to be repatriated. It has also awarded custody of the body to his widow Ana Paula dos Santos, the country’s state television station TPA reported Wednesday.
Dos Santos, 79, died on July 8 in Barcelona where he was seeking medical treatment.
The former First Lady Ana Paula was married to Dos Santos in 1992 and together have four children.
From left: Angola's former First Lady Ana Paula dos Santos, Portugal's former First Lady Maria Cavaco Silva, Angola's former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and Portuguese counterpart Anibal Cavaco Silva in Lisbon on March 10, 2009.
Meanwhile, Tchizé dos Santos, one of Dos Santos’ daughters, said she will appeal the decision. She argues that the custody of the former head of state’s body should be awarded to his sons because Ana Paula was not with their father from 2017.
The Spanish court maintained that Ana Paula dos Santos has legitimacy because she did not divorce the former leader.
Last month, Dos Santos’ children agreed to have their father buried in Luanda, but only after the August 24 general election.
