Portugal Images: Monumento a Salgueiro Maia, Santarém
The Monumento a Salgueiro Maia in Santarém is dedicated to Salgueiro Maia (1944-1992), one of the heroes of the 1974 Carnation Revolution.
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.
He 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.
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.
The monument, now at the southern entrance to the city on the N3 highway, was unveiled in 2006 on April 25 on the anniversary of the revolution.
