In a message of condolence, the Political Bureau of the MPLA Central Committee expressed "deep sorrow and consternation" over the death of João Garcia Bires.
"It was with profound sorrow and consternation that the Political Bureau of the MPLA Central Committee learned of the passing of comrade João Garcia Bires, which occurred on July 17, 2025, due to illness," reads the message, which VerAngola had access to.
The nationalist was born in Luanda on February 27, 1944, and from an early age stood out "for his dedication to scientific knowledge and firm patriotic ideals."
"In September 1960, courageously embracing the ideals of the national liberation struggle against colonial rule, he went into exile with other young patriots in what was then Congo-Leopoldville, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, providing unequivocal proof of his commitment to the cause of Angolan independence," the MPLA stated.
"His revolutionary commitment, from clandestinity to the post-independence period, is a testament to exemplary militancy, unwavering loyalty to the MPLA, and dedication to his motherland, Angola, and the Angolan people," the statement reads, adding: "A consistent activist, Garcia Bires, as he was affectionately known by his comrades, performed important functions within the party and national diplomacy with zeal and a high sense of state."
He was also interim rector of Agostinho Neto University and served as Angola's ambassador to Namibia, China, and Mozambique.
"He was also, from September 10, 1979, to December 23, 1980, interim rector of Agostinho Neto University. As ambassador of the Republic of Angola to the Republic of Namibia and, later, to the Republic of China and Mozambique, he competently and dignifiedly defended the strategic interests of the Angolan state and cemented ties of friendship and cooperation with sister nations, whose relations of friendship and cooperation contributed to the construction and development that Angola continues to maintain in the international context," the MPLA statement reads.
Garcia Bires also played a significant role in the cultural sector. "In the cultural field, he stood out as an intellectual committed to the affirmation of national identity. He was a member of the Angolan Writers' Union, where he served as president, having contributed to Angolan literature with the publication of several poems in youth magazines and newspapers of the former socialist republics of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the USSR, as well as three notable literary works, namely: Dia do Calendário, O Silêncio Acordado e Olhadelando", the MPLA emphasizes.
Thus, the party's Political Bureau pays tribute to the nationalist and writer.
"The Political Bureau of the MPLA pays heartfelt tribute to the exceptional qualities of comrade João Garcia Bires, a staunch nationalist, an upright patriot, an exemplary professional, a sensitive writer, and a revolutionary activist who knew, throughout his life, how to combine political action with critical and creative thought," the party writes, considering his passing "an irreparable loss not only for his family and circle of friends, but also for Angolan society, which has lost one of its most distinguished sons."
Finally, the Political Bureau of the MPLA Central Committee extended its "deepest condolences and fraternal solidarity" to the family.
