Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers - Reorganizative Movement of the Party of the Proletariat
Encyclopedia
The Portuguese Workers' Communist Party/Reorganized Movement of the Party of the Proletariat (Portuguese
: Partido Comunista dos Trabalhadores Portugueses / Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado or PCTP/MRPP) is a Maoist political party
founded in 1970 in Portugal
. On the ballot, its name appears as the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, omitting the "Reorganized" part of the name; however its acronym
remains unchanged. Its first secretary-general was Arnaldo Matos.
Originally called merely the MRPP, the party's political orientation has been Maoist since its foundation. In 1971, still during the conservative and authoritarian dictatorship led by Marcello Caetano, the party began issuing a newspaper called Luta Popular (People's Struggle). The party was among the most active resistance movements before the Portuguese democratic revolution
of 1974, especially among students of Lisbon
. After the revolution, the MRPP achieved fame for its large and highly artistic mural paintings. It was intensely active during 1974 and 1975. At that time, the party had members that later came to be very important in national politics, for example, José Manuel Durão Barroso
and Fernando Rosas
, who subsequently left the party. The party, however, never managed to elect a single MP in legislative elections.
During the revolutionary period of 1974 and 1975, the MRPP was accused (mainly by the Portuguese Communist Party
) of being an agent of the CIA - a belief that was fueled by the cooperation between the MRPP and the Socialist Party
against the communist program defended by Portuguese Communist Party
.
In 1976, the party changed its name to the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, and it was then that it started to use the acronym PCTP/MRPP. Its historical leaders are Arnaldo de Matos and Saldanha Sanches. The latter directed the Luta Popular newspaper. Its current leader is António Garcia Pereira.
The party's youth wing, now extinct, was the Marxist–Leninist Students Federation, to which also belonged José Manuel Durão Barroso.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Partido Comunista dos Trabalhadores Portugueses / Movimento Reorganizativo do Partido do Proletariado or PCTP/MRPP) is a Maoist political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
founded in 1970 in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. On the ballot, its name appears as the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, omitting the "Reorganized" part of the name; however its acronym
Acronym and initialism
Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
remains unchanged. Its first secretary-general was Arnaldo Matos.
Originally called merely the MRPP, the party's political orientation has been Maoist since its foundation. In 1971, still during the conservative and authoritarian dictatorship led by Marcello Caetano, the party began issuing a newspaper called Luta Popular (People's Struggle). The party was among the most active resistance movements before the Portuguese democratic revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
of 1974, especially among students of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. After the revolution, the MRPP achieved fame for its large and highly artistic mural paintings. It was intensely active during 1974 and 1975. At that time, the party had members that later came to be very important in national politics, for example, José Manuel Durão Barroso
José Manuel Durão Barroso
José Manuel Durão Barroso is a Portuguese politician. He is President of the European Commission, since 23 November 2004. He served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 6 April 2002 to 17 July 2004.-Academic career:...
and Fernando Rosas
Fernando Rosas
Fernando José Mendes Rosas is a Portuguese historian and politician.- Early life and education :Rosas was born on the April 18, 1946. He studied at the Pedro Nunes high school, and in 1961, he joined the school's Portuguese Communist Party organization, a party for which he was later a militant.He...
, who subsequently left the party. The party, however, never managed to elect a single MP in legislative elections.
During the revolutionary period of 1974 and 1975, the MRPP was accused (mainly by the Portuguese Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist....
) of being an agent of the CIA - a belief that was fueled by the cooperation between the MRPP and the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Portugal)
The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
against the communist program defended by Portuguese Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
The Portuguese Communist Party is a major left-wing political party in Portugal. It is a Marxist-Leninist party, and its organization is based upon democratic centralism. The party also considers itself to be patriotic and internationalist....
.
In 1976, the party changed its name to the Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, and it was then that it started to use the acronym PCTP/MRPP. Its historical leaders are Arnaldo de Matos and Saldanha Sanches. The latter directed the Luta Popular newspaper. Its current leader is António Garcia Pereira.
The party's youth wing, now extinct, was the Marxist–Leninist Students Federation, to which also belonged José Manuel Durão Barroso.
See also
- Politics of PortugalPolitics of PortugalPolitics in Portugal take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The President of the Republic is the head of state and has several significant political powers, which he...
- List of political parties in Portugal
- Carnation RevolutionCarnation RevolutionThe Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
- Marxist–Leninist Students Federation
- MaoismMaoismMaoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...