Famous Portuguese People: Salgueiro Maia
Salgueiro Maia (1944-1992) was one of the heroes of the 1974 Carnation Revolution.
Salgueiro Maia was born in Castelo de Vide near Portalegre, the only son of a railway worker. Maia's mother was killed in a road accident in Lisbon when he was only four years old. He attended school in Tomar and Leiria and after joining the Portuguese military served overseas in Portugal's colonial wars in Africa.
While a young captain stationed in Santarém, Salgueiro Maia became aware of the plans of the Movimento das Forças Armadas (Armed Forces Movement or MFA) to overthrow the government of the Estado Novo (New State) that had governed Portugal since 1933, mostly under the rule of the dictator, Salazar.
Salgueiro Maia led his armoured unit from Santarém to Lisbon on April 25, 1974 (after first imprisoning any superior officers who did not agree with his plans). Upon arrival in the government quarter in Lisbon, pro-government forces were persuaded to lay down their arms and join the uprising. Government ministers were surrounded and eventually the serving Portuguese Prime Minister was persuaded by Maia to surrender to General Spinola, the leader of the revolution.
Salgueiro Maia was determined to see through the revolution without bloodshed which he succeeded in doing. No-one died at the hands of the troops under his command.
After the uprising, Maia was to become a major in the Portuguese Army but sought no political office. He died of cancer aged only 47.
