11 Facts About Pedro Pires

Pedro Pires fled to Conakry in 1962, then Ghana and afterwards headed to Algeria; he was trained in Cuba, the Soviet Union and Guinea-Bissau.

Pedro Pires opposed apartheid in South Africa and opposed foreign intervention in Africa.

Pedro Pires visited that city again in 1989 and met with French prime minister Michel Rocard on 11 May 1989.

Pedro Pires held additional portfolio of Minister of Finance from 1986 to 1990.

At a party congress in August 1993, Pedro Pires was replaced as General Secretary by Aristides Lima and was instead elected as President of PAICV.

Pedro Pires stepped down as PAICV President in 2000 in preparation for a presidential bid in the next year's election and he was succeeded by Neves.

Pedro Pires officially announced his candidacy for the Presidency of Cape Verde on September 5,2000.

Pedro Pires was the PAICV candidate in the February 2001 presidential election, defeating former prime minister Carlos Veiga of the Movement for Democracy in the second round by just 12 votes.

Pedro Pires attended the Tokyo International Conference on African Development at this time.

Pedro Pires was awarded the 2011 Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership.

Pedro Pires is married to Adelcia Barreto Pires, and has two children Sara and Indira.