Ludo Martens
Ludo Martens | |
|---|---|
| President of the Workers' Party of Belgium | |
| In office 4 November 1979 – 2 March 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Peter Mertens |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ludo Martens 12 March 1946 Torhout, Belgium |
| Died | 5 June 2011 (aged 65) |
| Political party | Workers' Party of Belgium |
| Occupation |
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Ludo Martens (12 March 1946 – 5 June 2011) was a Belgian far-left activist who founded and served as the first leader of the Workers' Party of Belgium. He wrote several works on the political history of Central Africa and the Soviet Union.
In 1968, Martens founded the group Alle macht aan de arbeiders (All Power to the Workers), which became the Workers' Party of Belgium in 1979. He served as president of the Workers' Party until 2008. Martens was the last foreigner to meet North Korean president Kim Il Sung before his death on 8 July 1994. According to a press release by the Workers' Party, Martens died on the morning of 5 June 2011 after a long illness.