José Vitoriano
Encyclopedia
José Rodrigues Vitoriano (1918, Silves - February 3, 2006) was a Portuguese politician and a major figure in the struggle against the Portuguese
fascist regime led by António Oliveira Salazar.
Vitoriano started working very young in a cork
factory in Algarve and joined the Portuguese Communist Party
in 1941. Between 1945 and 1948 he was the president of the cork workers' Trade Union
. After that, in 1951, he became a cadre of the Party. Meanwhile, in 1948, he had been imprisoned by the regime's political police, the PIDE
, only leaving jail in 1950. In 1953 he was arrested once more, and was sentenced to four years; however, as the fascist sentences for political prisoners were open-ended, Vitoriano only left jail in 1966. In January 1967 he became a clandestine, a usual method used by the members of the Communist Party to avoid detentions. He would only leave that status after the democratic revolution of 1974
. Vitoriano spent a total of 17 years in jail.
Vitoriano was a member of the Party's Central Committee
between 1968 and 2000 and a member of its Secretariat between 1968 and 1972. Between 1977 and 1987, he was a member of the Portuguese Parliament, being its vice-president between 1977 and 1984.
José Vitoriano died February 3 2006 in Lisbon
.
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...
fascist regime led by António Oliveira Salazar.
Vitoriano started working very young in a cork
Cork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
factory in Algarve and joined 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....
in 1941. Between 1945 and 1948 he was the president of the cork workers' Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. After that, in 1951, he became a cadre of the Party. Meanwhile, in 1948, he had been imprisoned by the regime's political police, the PIDE
PIDE
In 1969, Marcello Caetano changed the name PIDE to DGS . The death of Salazar and the subsequent ascension of Caetano brought some attempts at democratization, in order to avoid popular insurgency against censorship, the ongoing colonial war and the general restriction of civil rights...
, only leaving jail in 1950. In 1953 he was arrested once more, and was sentenced to four years; however, as the fascist sentences for political prisoners were open-ended, Vitoriano only left jail in 1966. In January 1967 he became a clandestine, a usual method used by the members of the Communist Party to avoid detentions. He would only leave that status after the democratic revolution of 1974
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...
. Vitoriano spent a total of 17 years in jail.
Vitoriano was a member of the Party's Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
between 1968 and 2000 and a member of its Secretariat between 1968 and 1972. Between 1977 and 1987, he was a member of the Portuguese Parliament, being its vice-president between 1977 and 1984.
José Vitoriano died February 3 2006 in 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...
.