Altino Pinto De Magalhães
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Altino Amadeu Pinto de Magalhães ; 8 May 1922 – 24 January 2019) was a Portuguese commissioned army officer in the
Portuguese Armed Forces The Portuguese Armed Forces () are the military of Portugal. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the other unified bodies and the three service branches: Portuguese Navy, Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air Force. The Presi ...
and politician who served as a deputy
Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
. He was the President of the Junta Regional of the Azores. He served as a general in the Portuguese Armed Forces, who, while having a conservative style, supported the
Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...
of 25 April 1974.


Career

During his time at the Army Academy, Altino studied Infantry, Transmission and Information, the general and complementary courses in Officers training, as well as taking an aviation course to provide tourist services.Magalhães (2011) He was promoted to ensign in March 1943 while in
Lamego Lamego (; ) is a city and municipality in the Viseu District, in the Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region of the Douro Subregion, Douro in northern Portugal. Located on the shores of the Balsemão River, the municipality has a population of 26,691 ...
, and served with the 9th Regimental Infantry in São Miguel and
Terceira Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, about a third of the way across the North Atlantic Ocean at a similar latitude to Portugal's capital Lisbon, with the island group forming an insular part of Portugal. It is one of the ...
.Editora Cidade (2010) He served in
Portuguese Angola In southwestern Africa, Portuguese Angola was a historical Evolution of the Portuguese Empire, colony of the Portuguese Empire (1575–1951), the overseas province Portuguese West Africa of Estado Novo (Portugal), Estado Novo Portugal (1951–1 ...
between 1946 and 1948, where he was promoted to lieutenant before serving in
Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
. Before returning to Angola, where he served between 1949 and 1953, he was made promoted to captain in December 1948. He served in the Ministry of the Army between 1953 and 1961, becoming a major by December 1957 and later lieutenant-colonel by May 1961, before being transferred to
Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
(
Funchal Funchal () officially Funchal City (), is the capital, largest city and a Municipality (Portugal), municipality in Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it ...
). He returned to the Ministry between 1963 and 1969, being invested as colonel in 1968. He joined the ''Quartel General da Região Militar'' (''Military Regional General Garrison'') in Angola in 1969–71, serving in the ''Estado Maior do Exército'' (''Army Staff'') and regional command, advancing to the position of Brigadier by August 1973.


Presidency of the Azores

Pinto de Magalhães was nominated to the position of Military Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
on 6 January 1975 (a function that he served until 29 August 1976). He arrived in
Ponta Delgada Ponta Delgada (; ) is the largest municipality (''concelho'') and executive capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. As of 2021, it has 67,2 ...
during a period of heightened tensions after the Revolution, during a political crisis and ideological conflict between anti-communists and separatists. On 6 June 1975 a protest in Ponta Delgada was held, in direct and conscious defiance of a law prohibiting such political gatherings. Quickly the protest turned into a separatist manifestation. The military tried to block protesters from descending on the Conceição Palace, which at the time was the residence of the Civil Governor (
António Borges Coutinho António Borges Coutinho Order of Liberty, GOL (3 May 1923 in Lisbon – 3 February 2011 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese lawyer and politician. Biography António Eduardo Borges Coutinho de Medeiros was born in Lisbon on 3 May 1923, the secon ...
). Magalhães met with Coutinho, but in the middle of the confusion, Coutinho abruptly resigned. The news of this event provoked a wave of cheers from the protesters and demands for the Azores' complete independence. What followed were negotiations between the commander-in-chief and a group of protesters. After the protesters had calmed-down, orders were sent to arrest some of the personalities considered responsible for the subversive acts related to the agitation, and they were deported to Terceira. As a consequence of these events, a ''Junta Governativa Regional'' (''Governing Regional Junta'') was established under decree-law 458/B/75 on 22 August 1975. The Junta was presided over by the military Commandant, allied to a civilian council that included representatives of the leading non-communist political parties (Social Democrats, Socialists and Democratic-Centrists). It operated as a provisional government of the Azores, until the new Portuguese Constitution established the Regional Government of the Azores. Between 26 August 1975 and 29 August 1976 Magalhães served as the president of the ''Junta Regional dos Açores'' (''Azores Regional Junta''). Prior to his abandoning the position of president, in February 1976, he was promoted to General.


Later life

During his career Magalhães held the highest level roles in his military postings, attaining many of the functions in the military hierarchy. Similarly, he exercise civilian functions: District Governor of Uige (1972–74); Representative of the Governing Junta in Angola (1974) and as President of the Regional Junta of the Azores (1975–76). Between 1976 and 1979 he served in the Army's Planning Directorate, and later the Armed Forces Planning Directorate (1979–1984), attaining the post of four-star General by July 1979. He was the President of the Central Committee of the Combatants League () between 1986 and 1996. His military career included fifteen command-level accreditation, as well as in Governing and Ministerial postings. In addition, he received eight national medallions, in addition to commendations and honours from Brazil (six), France (one) and Yugoslavia (one). His national honors included three (silver and gold) Service Distinctions with Palm and a Grand Cross in the Military Order. He became President of the Executive Commission established to by the National Association of Overseas Combatants () to guide the building of national monument to overseas troops in 1986. He held this position until about 1996. In 1985, he became a candidate for the Presidency of Portugal. Magalhães died on 24 January 2019 of natural causes. His body lay at the São João de Deus church in Lisbon prior to his funeral on 26 January.


References

Notes Sources * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Magalhaes, Altino Pinto de 1922 births 2019 deaths People from Carrazeda de Ansiães Presidents of the Government of the Azores