Vasco de Almeida e Costa

Who was Vasco de Almeida e Costa?

Vasco Fernando Leotte de Almeida e Costa, GCIH, GCL, was a Portuguese naval officer and politician who served as Minister of Internal Administration during José Pinheiro de Azevedo's government, between 19 September 1975 and 23 July 1976. He also had an important role during the Portuguese decolonization period. From 23 June 1976 he became interim Prime Minister after Pinheiro de Azevedo suffered a heart attack during his presidential campaign. He remained the 106th Prime Minister of Portugal as an interim official for the rest of Pinheiro de Azevedo's mandate, when he was substituted by the democratically-elected Mário Soares. He was also the 134th Governor of Macau from 16 June 1981 to 15 May 1986.

He was the son of Américo de Almeida e Costa and wife Julieta da Conceição Leotte and married in Viana do Castelo, Meadela, at the Chapel of São Vicente, on 11 January 1959 to Maria Claudiana da Costa de Faria Araújo, one of the fourteen children of a couple of Northern Portuguese Nobility, and by whom he had issue.

He died one day before his 78th birthday.