Henrique Gouveia e Melo
Henrique Gouveia e Melo | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Chief of the Naval Staff | |
| In office 27 December 2021 – 27 December 2024 | |
| President | Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa |
| Preceded by | António Mendes Calado |
| Succeeded by | Jorge Nobre de Sousa |
| Coordinator of the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Task Force | |
| In office 3 February 2021 – 28 September 2021 | |
| Appointed by | João Gomes Cravinho (Minister of National Defence) Eduardo Cabrita (Minister of Internal Administration) Marta Temido (Minister of Health) |
| Preceded by | Francisco Ramos |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Commander of the European Maritime Force | |
| In office 19 September 2017 – 19 September 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Donato Marzano |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Philippe Rolland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henrique Eduardo Passaláqua de Gouveia e Melo 21 November 1960 Quelimane, Portuguese Mozambique, Portugal |
| Citizenship | Portugal |
| Spouse |
Carol Costeloe
(m. 1986; div. 2025) |
| Domestic partner(s) | Maria Cristina Castanheta (since 2019) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Naval School |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Portugal |
| Branch/service | Portuguese Navy |
| Years of service | 1979–2024 (active) 2024–present (reserve) |
| Rank | Admiral |
Admiral Henrique Eduardo Passaláqua de Gouveia e Melo (Portuguese: [ẽˈʁi.kɨ ɡo(w)ˈvɐj.ɐ i ˈmɛlu]; born 21 November 1960) is a retired Portuguese Navy officer who most recently served as the Chief of the Naval Staff, from 2021 to 2024.
Previously, while he was serving as Adjutant for Planning and Coordination of the Armed Forces General Staff, Gouveia e Melo rose to national prominence after being appointed coordinator of the Task Force for the successful national COVID-19 vaccination plan, that saw Portugal having the highest vaccination rates in the world. Gouveia e Melo had previously served as a Commander of the Portuguese Fleet (Comandante Naval) from 2017 to 2020 and, from 2017 to 2019, as Commander of the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR).
Due to his prominent role during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, Gouveia e Melo was included in Jornal de Negócios's list of 50 Most Powerful People of 2021, which included both Portuguese and international personalities. His popularity has made Gouveia e Melo long be tipped by the media as a potential future presidential candidate. He officially announced his campaign for the 2026 Portuguese presidential election on 29 May 2025.