WEEKLY REVIEW: PORTUGAL: MILITARY UPRISING

Created: 4/26/1974

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Weekly Review

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The WEEKLY REVIEW, issued every Friday morning by theurrent Intelligence, reports and analyze* significant develoc-iVents of the week through noon on Thursday, it frequently includes material coordinated with or prepared by tna Of lea of Economic Research, the Office of Strategic Research, and tha Directorate of Science and Technology, Topics requVing more comprehensive treatment and therefore publishedas Special Reports are listed In tha contents.

Warning Notice Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods involved

iitional Warning NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions

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Tha WEEKLY REVIEW MUST NOT BE RELEASED .TO FOREIGNmust be handled wHhWthe framework or specificcontrol provisions of

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portugal: military uprising

noon onissidents calling themselves the "Armed Forces Movement" announced the formationrovisionaland claimed to have captured theLegion headquarters, major radio stations, the Ministry of Army headquarters in Lisbon,ew military installations outside the capital. They also reported thai President Thomaz, Prime Minister Caetano, and some other ministers were surrounded by rebel forces at NationalGuard headquarters, and that they had been given an ultimatum to surrender.

The rebels reportedly called on Generals Costa Gomes and Spinola to join them, but there is no confirmation that either has responded. Both men were fired last month from their jobs as chief and deputy chief of the armed forces,in the wakeurorook published by Spinola calling for changes inAfrican policy.

Earlier this month in the wake of theunrest over Portugal's overseas policy, the government arrested nearlyeftists anddetermined to discourage politicalespecially on May Day. Lisbon also cracked down on some clergymen who wereess repressive overseas policy.

So far, there has been no response from Portugal's African territories, although thethere will be watching the situation very closely. Support for Spinola and Costa Gomes is sizable in the territories, particularly among junior officers, but it has been held in check by strong conservative elements in the military,and security structures. The Rhodesian and South African governments also are watching the situation closely since events in Lisbon willtrong bearing on their support for Portuguese counter-insurgency efforts in Mozambique, where fighting has been on an upswing since the first of the

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Outcome of the current situation will depend primarily on themost choose to remain loyal to the Caetano gov-

Original document.

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