The chance, still considered plausible, that the body of JOSÉ EDUARDO dos SANTOS (JES) is not immediately transferred to Angola, would constitute a political and personal embarrassment for JOÃO LOURENÇO (JL), taking into account what is commonly believed to have been his committed efforts to make this happen, some of which went as far as trying to contradict the will of the former PR's children, who with different variations oppose the claim.

JL's “high interest” (internal definition) in promoting a state funeral for his predecessor, stems from the opportunity that the respective tributes would provide to redeem himself for the conduct he followed in relation to JES. The political-electoral purposes present in JL's interest lie in the perspective of a “reconciliation” with layers of society and even the regime's means that in general disapprove of his conduct in relation to JES, thus trying to “electorally predispose” them.

JL and his counselors are, however, convinced that they will be able to change the irreducibility of the children, especially ISABEL dos SANTOS (IS) and WELWITCHEA (“Tchizé”) dos SANTOS (TS), “in time” for the transfer to take place in the next few days. To this end, several actions are underway, entrusted to three senior officials of the regime, expressly dispatched to Barcelona. READ MORE