Left-wing nationalist, one-time Marxist-Leninist (proclaimed in 1977 and abandoned in 1991) ruling party of Angola since elections were first held in 1992. Party began as a merger of three guerrilla armies fighting Portuguese control of Angola; the Angolan Communist Party (PCA); the Party of the United Struggle for Africans in Angola (PLUA) and the Movement for the National Independence of Angola (MINA). Party was founded by Angola's first president Agostinho Neto, and Angolan poet Viriato da Cruz. Neto chaired the MPLA from inception until his death on September 10, 1979. Party has been led by Angola's fourth president João Lourenço since September 26, 2017 [Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA)].
