Taur Matan Ruak

Taur Matan Ruak GColIH
Official portrait, 2018
8th Prime Minister of East Timor
In office 22 June 2018 – 1 July 2023
President	Francisco Guterres José Ramos-Horta
Deputy	Armanda Berta dos Santos José Maria dos Reis
Preceded by	Mari Alkatiri
Succeeded by	Xanana Gusmão
5th President of East Timor
In office 20 May 2012 – 20 May 2017
Prime Minister	Xanana Gusmão Rui Maria de Araújo
Preceded by	José Ramos-Horta
Succeeded by	Francisco Guterres
Personal details
Born	(1956-10-10) 10 October 1956 (age 67) Baguia, Portuguese Timor (now East Timor)
Political party	People's Liberation Party
Other political affiliations	Independent (before 2017)
Spouse	Isabel da Costa Ferreira ​ ​ (m. 2001; died 2023)​
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	East Timor
Years of service	1975–2011
Rank	Major General
Commands	Ponta Leste Sector Falintil Timor Leste Defence Force
Battles/wars	Indonesian occupation of East Timor

José Maria de Vasconcelos GColIH (born 10 October 1956), popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak (Tetum for "Two Sharp Eyes"), is an East Timorese politician who served as 8th prime minister of East Timor from 2018 to 2023. He also served as 5th president of East Timor from 2012 to 2017.

Before entering politics, he was the commander of the FALINTIL-Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste (F-FDTL), the military of East Timor, from 2002 until 6 October 2011. Prior to serving in the F-FDTL, he was the last commander of the Armed Forces of National Liberation of East Timor or FALINTIL (Forças Armadas para a Liberação Nacional de Timor Leste), the insurgent army that resisted the Indonesian occupation of the territory from 1975 to 1999. Leaving the military in 2011, he stood as an independent candidate in the 2012 presidential election and prevailed in the second round of the vote, held in April 2012.^[1]