"Tchizé and his brothers want the father's wishes to be respected, which is not to be buried in Angola, but in Spain, because he does not want the current President of the Republic to use his burial for political purposes," Carmen Varela told Lusa adding that, in addition, a funeral in Angola would make it impossible for several close family members to say goodbye, as some of the children "cannot enter Angola and do not even have an Angolan passport".
The lawyer representing one of the daughters of former President José Eduardo dos Santos, who died on Friday after two weeks in a private clinic in Barcelona, confirmed that an injunction was filed in the court so that the body is not transferred to Angola and revealed that "the Teknon clinic told us that the body will not leave the clinic until there is either a court order or an agreement between all the children".
Carmen Varela argues that "José Eduardo dos Santos was no longer a diplomat, his residence was Barcelona, and the only ones who have a decision on the burial place are the children, enough of political manipulations".
Asked if there is any document where this will of José Eduardo dos Santos is expressed, the lawyer said that she did not see this document, but said that a declaration of the children was delivered to the court in which the father's will is recorded.
"Neither the ministers nor the President can override the family's wishes, the family will not authorize any burial in Angola because the children of the first marriage cannot enter Angola and want to say goodbye to their father freely in Spain" , he stressed, concluding that forcing the transfer to Luanda would be "a violation of the family's human rights".
João Lourenço says he has everyone present for the funeral
The President, João Lourenço, said on Friday that the Government will organize the funeral rites of the former head of state José Eduardo dos Santos, for which he counts on the presence of everyone, including the family "that is outside".
"If we take into account the current circumstances, we don't see why the family that is outside cannot [can] accompany their loved one, we are counting on the presence of everyone without exception of anyone", said João Lourenço, on the way out of an emergency meeting of the MPLA, the ruling party of which José Eduardo dos Santos was president emeritus.
It should be noted that Tchizé dos Santos, who has lived outside Angola for several years, lost her mandate as MPLA deputy in 2019 and claims to risk her life in her country, while her older sister, Isabel dos Santos, also residing abroad, faces several lawsuits and claims to be a victim of persecution.
Asked about the accusations of the former president's eldest daughters, João Lourenço said that the focus at the moment is the organization of funerals and that it is the executive's obligation to hold a state funeral.
"No authority in the country has the competence to prevent an Angolan citizen who is living abroad from returning to his own country, no matter what the circumstances", stressed the chief executive.
About his predecessor in the presidency, Lourenço said that "Angola has just lost a great son (...) who dedicated all his youth, all his life for the good of Angola and the Angolans".
The head of state also left an appeal: "So that we face this moment with the greatest possible serenity and that the people follow, through the media, the program of the funeral until we manage to carry out the state funeral to which they are entitled and which is our obligation as an executive to organize".
Addressing the family, he stated that "they do not suffer alone".
"We are in solidarity in this difficult time", underlined João Lourenço, saying that "the pain that the family feels every Angolan feels".
José Eduardo dos Santos died on Friday at the age of 79 in a clinic in Barcelona, Spain, after weeks of hospitalization.
