Maria da Conceição Moita also known as Xexão (5 April 1937 – 30 March 2021) was a Portuguese educator and activist in the fight against the dictatorship of Estado Novo. She participated in protests against dictatorship and the

Portuguese Colonial War The Portuguese Colonial War ( pt, Guerra Colonial Portuguesa), also known in Portugal as the Overseas War () or in the former colonies as the War of Liberation (), and also known as the Angolan, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambican War of Independence, ...

and gave logistical support to the

Brigadas Revolucionárias The Brigadas Revolucionarias (BR) were a terrorist organization active in Portugal between 1970 and 1980. Founded in 1970 by a group of dissidents from the Portuguese Communist Party, the BR were initially led by Isabel do Carmo, Carlos Antunes a ...

. On 30 December 1972, Moita was a part of a religious vigil in Capela do Rato where she announced a hunger strike against the government and against the Catholic hierarchy for not speaking out against the dictatorship. She was noted later as having been the person who properly envisioned the "wonderful fruits of the Second Vatican Council" in Portugal. She was arrested by the

PIDE The International and State Defense Police ( pt, Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado; PIDE) was a Portuguese security agency that existed during the '' Estado Novo'' regime of António de Oliveira Salazar. Formally, the main roles of the ...

in December 1973, and was released after 25 April 1974. Moita died on 30 March 2021, aged 83. The Portuguese Parliament paid tribute to the death of Conceição Moita. They unanimously approved a vote of condolence and was signed by the president of the parliament,

Ferro Rodrigues Eduardo Luís Barreto Ferro Rodrigues (born 3 November 1949) is a Portuguese politician and economist who had been President of the Assembly of the Republic since 2015 until 29 March 2022, in the 13th (2015–2019) and 14th Legislatures (2019� ...

and by deputies from all parties.

References

Portuguese activists Portuguese educators Portuguese women 1937 births 2021 deaths People from Alcanena Place of death missing {{Portugal-bio-stub