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Portugal, 50 years since the Carnation Revolution: the end of dictatorship and the dawn of democracy

On April 25, 2024, Portugal celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, a bloodless uprising that ended the dictatorship of the Estado Novo and ushered in an era of democracy. Here is the story of the revolution and its symbol, the red carnation

Portugal, 50 years since the Carnation Revolution: the end of dictatorship and the dawn of democracy

In addition to Italy Portugal also celebrates its April 25th. While in Italy Liberation Day is celebrated to commemorate the end of Nazi-fascism and the fall of the fascist regime, in Portugal April 25th marks the anniversary of Carnation Revolution of 1974 (in Portuguese Revolução dos cravos). Exactly fifty years ago this revolution led to end of the Estado Novo, the longest dictatorial regime of 1900 founded by António Salazar in 1933 and subsequently led by Marcello Caetano.

In 1974, Portugal faced serious economic problems and unrest caused by wars in its African colonies. On April 25, taking control of strategic points of Lisbon in the early hours of the day, a group of officers from a progressive faction of the Portuguese armed forces, known as Movement of the Armed Forces (MFA), decided to start a coup d'etat overthrowing the authoritarian regime of Marcello Caetano. The poetess Sophia de Mello Breyner he described that moment as “the initial day, whole and clean.”

The Carnation Revolution stood out, compared to other revolts, for its non-violent nature: Soldiers and citizens, tired of the authoritarian regime, welcomed the change. And the support of the population was fundamental to the rapid success of the revolt. The name and symbol of this revolution derive from the iconic gesture of civilians and soldiers who they offered red carnations to the soldiers, representing non-violence and solidarity.

The Revolution was one crucial watershed in the history of Portugal, marking the beginning of profound political and social reforms and the establishment of a democratic system in the country. The transition to democracy in the Portuguese country was then completed after two years of intense political struggles.

Portugal: the dictatorship of the Estado Novo

The Portuguese dictatorship began with coup of May 28, 1926, marking the end of the First Republic. Salazar, with the approval of a new Constitution in 1933, established the regime ofnew state, based on corporatism and fascist ideology. Power was concentrated in the hands of a single party, theNational UniversityL. Salazar's government, characterized by rigid fiscal policies and spending cuts, was marked by the limitation of political freedoms and repression through the PIDE political police.

During World War II, the Portugal remained neutral, allowing for relative economic growth in the 40s. In 1949, the regime ended its political isolation by becoming a founding member of NATO.

The Salazarian regime encountered increasing opposition, culminating in the 1958 presidential elections, when General Humberto Delgado openly challenged the regime. In 1968, Salazar he was forced to relinquish power due to an accident that left him disabled, died in 1970. After his death, the government passed into the hands of Marcello Caetano without substantial changes. However, Portugal found itself politically and economically exhausted due to the long colonial war without a clear political solution. This situation generated discontent, especially among the lower classes and within the armed forces.

The Carnation Revolution

In March 1974, the Portuguese government he dismissed António de Spínola, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, for his criticism of colonial policy and his support for a political solution in African conflicts. This caused growing dissatisfaction within the army, culminating in the organization of the Armed Forces Movement (MFA), led by figures such as Francisco da Costa Gomes and Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho. After several failed attempts, the MFA planned a coup for April 25, 1974.

On April 25, the signal for the start of the coup was the broadcast of the song “Grandola, Vila Morena” through the Limite program of Radio Renascenca. A song banned by the dictatorship. It was the beginning of the operation. At 00:20, rebel troops emerge from the barracks and take control of key points in Lisbon, neutralizing forces loyal to the regime. They occupy the state television, the radios, the airport and the ministries. Even when the frigate Gago Coutinho receives the order to fire on the rebels, the officers refuse to obey. The Armed Forces Movement announces the control of the country, inviting citizens to stay at home, but many come down to show solidarity with the rebels.

Marcelo Caetano takes refuge in the General Command of the National Republican Guard, but in the end he hands over the government to Spinola just before six in the evening. In the evening, General Spinola signs the Law n.1, known as the "Dismissal of the fascist leaders", which involves the removal of the president and the prime minister, the dissolution of the National Assembly and the Council of State, and the transfer of government powers to the National Salvation Council, composed of the leaders of the Movement of the Armed Forces.

After over 45 years of dictatorship, the Portuguese thus regained their freedom through a revolution without bloodshed.

Because the symbol was the red carnation

Il carnation became the symbol of the Carnation Revolution for a simple case. The credit was Celeste Caerio who offered red carnations to the soldiers who stuck them in the barrels of their rifles.

Celeste lived with her mother and daughter in a rented room in Chiado, Lisbon, and worked in the warehouse of a restaurant called Sir. On the day of the Carnation Revolution, the restaurant celebrated its first anniversary but the presence of soldiers on the streets prevented it from opening. That day the owner intended to offer flowers to customers but, remaining closed, he distributed bunches of carnations to the employees. Returning home, Celeste found herself in front of the revolutionaries' tanks: she asked a soldier what was happening and he replied “We are going to Carmo to stop Marcelo Caetano. This is a revolution!”. The woman, having no cigarettes to offer the soldier, gave him the carnations she had received from the restaurant, telling him: "If you want to take it, I have only one carnation to offer“. The gesture spread, and Celeste was nicknamed Celeste dos cravos, while red carnations became the symbol of the Revolution.

The carnation became an icon even beyond Portuguese borders. In Brazil the singer Chico Buarque composed the song so much sea, Which reads: “Save me a carnation / I wanted to be at the party, man.” Three years later, disillusioned, he rewrote the lyrics: «They have already withered at your party, friend / But surely / someone will have forgotten a seed in some / corner of the garden».

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