The last battle of João Semedo was a fight for a dignified death – Politics

"He was a rare guy." A man who defended "with soul, heart and claw" is an essential cause for all Portuguese, as described by MEP Marisa Matias. From left to right, the words invite to be found in the political life and life of the former leader of the Left Bloc, João Semedo, who died Tuesday at the age of 67, victim of death. cancer.

João Semedo "was outstanding as a politician, for the causes that he embraced and for which he fought," said the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who also recalled the man "with a marked affability, convinced by the example, asserting by the force of his lucid and clairvoyant thought."

A doctor by profession and defender of the National Health System, Semedo launched earlier this year, with António Arnaut, also deceased in 2018, the book "Save the NHS – A new law on health at the grassroots to defend democracy". One of his last battles was centered on the decriminalization of assisted death, having integrated the civic movement "Right to die with dignity".

In politics, he became a PCP activist in 1972 and, a year later, was arrested by PIDE. He left the party in 2000 to become a BE activist seven years later. Later, with Catarina Martins, would assume the joint coordination of the blockists. He left his post in 2015 for health reasons.

A cancer stole his vocal cords and would be the cause of his death. In 2017, to the observer, Semedo would say: "I had the life that I chose, the life I wanted, I have nothing to regret in what was important . "

PROFILE
João Semedo was born in Lisbon on June 20, 1951, son of an engineer and militant communist and teacher. A doctor by profession, he was also a political activist. First to the PCP, which he joined in 1972, later in the Left Bloc, of which he was coordinator and deputy for 9 years.