2004-04-25T18:46:00.000Z

Abril de Abril

Era um Abril de amigo Abril de trigo
Abril de trevo e trégua e vinho e húmus
Abril de novos ritmos novos rumos.

Era um Abril comigo Abril contigo
ainda só ardor e sem ardil
Abril sem adjectivo Abril de Abril.

Era um Abril na praça Abril de massas
era um Abril na rua Abril a rodos
Abril de sol que nasce para todos.

Abril de vinho e sonho em nossas taças
era um Abril de clava Abril em acto
em mil novecentos e setenta e quatro.

Era um Abril viril Abril tão bravo
Abril de boca a abrir-se Abril palavra
esse Abril em que Abril se libertava.

Era um Abril de clava Abril de cravo
Abril de mão na mão e sem fantasmas
esse Abril em que Abril floriu nas armas.

Manuel Alegre

THE REVOLUTION BY THE MINUTE

4/23 - Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho hands out, to messenger captains, closed envelopes containing instructions for the military missions to take place on the night of the 24th to the 25th of April. Copies of the newspaper Época were also distributed to the participating military units as identification.

4/24 - In a very small article, the newspaper República drew its reader's attention to the program Limite , to be broadcasted, that night, by radio station Renascença.

22.00
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho and five other MFA [Armed Forces Movement] officials were posted at the Engineering Regiment 1 (Pontinha) where, since the day before, the Commanding Headquarters of the Movement had been secretly installed. From here Otelo commanded the military operations against the regime.

22.55
The Lisbon Associated Broadcasters played Paulo de Carvalho's song "E depois do Adeus" , marking the beginning of the military operations against the regime.

The 25th of April

00.24
Rádio Renascença's program Limite broadcasted José Afonso's song "Grândola Vila Morena", serving as the password chosed by the MFA [Armed Forces Movement] to indicate that military action is ongoing and irreversible.

00.30 till 16.00
Strategic points were occupied: RTP [state owned television], National Radio, Portuguese Radio Club, Lisbon Airport, General Headquarters, Army Headquarters, the Ministry of Defense, Bank of Portugal and Marconi. The Portuguese Radio Club broadcasted the movement's first public announcement. The paramilitary forces loyal to the regime started to surrender. Of these, the Portuguese Legion was the first.

Carmo's Convent, then the Guarda Nacional Republicana Headquarters was surrounded. The operation was led by Salgueiro Maia. Thousands of people filled the square in support of the revolutionary military forces. Inside Carmo Headquarters were Marcelo Caetano and two of his ministers.

Salgueiro Maia

16.30
Having expired the initial deadline for surrender ordered by Salgueiro Maia through his megaphone and after several attempts made by civilian mediators, Marcelo Caetano informed that he was willing to surrender and asked for the presence of a MFA official of a rank not inferior to Coronel.

17.45
General Antonio de Spínola, mandated by the MFA [Armed Forces Movement ], entered Carmo Headquarters to negotiate the government's surrender. A white flag was raised.

19.30
They finally surrendered. The light tank BULA entered the Headquarters to extract the ex-president of the Council and the two ministers that accompany him. They were taken to the Movement's Commanding Headquarters in Pontinha.

20.00
Elements of the PIDE/DGS [political police of the dictatorship] shoot demonstrators that had begun concentrating outside the political police headquarters on António Maria Cardoso Street. Four civilians were killed and 45 are wounded. Because of this, one PIDE/DGS agent was executed on the spot when he try to flee the scene.

One of the PIDE people and old pictures came down at their HQ.

4/26 - The PIDE/DGS surrenders after a telephone conversation between General Spínola and Silva Pais, director of the political police. The National Salvation Front (JSN) presented itself to the country on television. By command of the MFA [Armed Forces Movement], Marcelo Caetano, Américo Tomás, César Moreira Baptista and other elements of the overthrown regime were sent to island of Madeira. General Spínola was declared President of

the Republic. At the same time, political prisoners were liberated from Caxias and Peniche and the former political police agents were sent in to the same cells.

4/27 - Presentation of the MFA program.

4/29 till 4/30
Return of Mário Soares, leader of the Socialist Party (Mário Soares) and of Álvaro Cunhal, leader of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) from exile.

"O 25 de Abril Foi Uma Ruptura, Não Foi Uma Transição nem Uma Instauração"

25 DE ABRIL SEMPRE!