11d • Portuguese History
Portuguese History This Week
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🔥 Highlight of the Week: 3 January 1960
One of the boldest acts of resistance against the Estado Novo dictatorship, the famous Peniche Fortress escape (Fuga de Peniche), took place on this date.
Ten communist political prisoners, including Álvaro Cunhal, historic leader of the PCP, broke out of Portugal’s high security political prison at Peniche Fortress.
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🏃♂️ How the Escape Worked
🚗 Around 4:00 PM, actor Rogério Paulo arrived in front of the fortress with his car boot open, the agreed signal that everything was ready outside.
🧪 Inside, prisoners overpowered a guard using chloroform, then, with the help of sympathetic GNR officer Jorge Alves, moved across the prison grounds without being detected.
🛏️ They climbed down using a rope made from tied bed sheets, crossed exposed areas, scaled the outer wall, then ran to waiting cars that took them to safe houses.
☕ Across the street, people at a café watched it all happen and no one informed the authorities, showing how unpopular Salazar’s regime had become.
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⚖️ Why It Matters
😡 The escape humiliated and enraged dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, triggering a massive search that included torture of suspects, but the regime never uncovered the full support network.
🌍 Authorities even claimed, almost certainly falsely, that a Soviet submarine helped the operation, trying to frame it as an international conspiracy.
✈️ Álvaro Cunhal left for Moscow in 1962, lived there until the Carnation Revolution in 1974, then returned to help lead Portugal’s transition to democracy through the PCP.onu.missaoportugal.mne+1
✊ This escape remains a powerful symbol of resistance to political repression and a key moment in the story that leads toward democratic Portugal.
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✊ Honoring Portugal's Brave Heroes
From the daring Peniche escapees led by Álvaro Cunhal, to the carnation-wielding revolutionaries of '74, to countless unsung resisters who defied tyranny across centuries...
These heroes remind us that courage shapes nations. 💪
Which Portuguese hero inspires you most? Share below! 👇
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Portuguese History This Week
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