António Agostinho Neto (1922-1979) was an Angolan poet and nationalist leader. He was one of the first members of the MPLA, one of three factions that vied for power after the Portuguese withdrawal from Angola, and later led the country from 1975 to 1979. His government developed close links with the Soviet Union and other nations in the Communist bloc. He was succeeded in his capacity as president of the state and MPLA leader by José Eduardo dos Santos.
