Adelino Amaro da Costa
Encyclopedia
Adelino Manuel Lopes Amaro da Costa, GCIH
(Oeiras, Algés
, 18 April 1943 – Loures
, Camarate
, 4 December 1980) was a Portuguese
Politician
.
from the Instituto Superior Técnico
of the Technical University of Lisbon
(Universidade Técnica de Lisboa) Manuel Rafael Amaro da Costa (b. Odemira
, São Martinho das Amoreiras, January 10, 1910 -), of some rural Nobility descent, and wife (m. Lisbon
, 1937) Joaquina da Conceição Duarte Lopes Nunes (Odemira
, Relíquias, January 22, 1914 - Lisbon
, Alvalade
, June 19, 1991).
by training from the Instituto Superior Técnico
of the University of Lisbon.
After the Carnation Revolution
, he founded, together with Diogo Freitas do Amaral
, the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), in which he became Deputy
to the Assembly of the Republic
and Minister
.
After the victory of the Democratic Alliance
, a coalition between the Social Democrats
, the Popular Monarchists and his own party, in the Portuguese legislative election, 1980
, he became the first civilian Defence Minister
since the Carnation Revolution
in 1980-01-03.
He died in a plane crash, together with his wife Maria Manuel Simões Vaz da Silva Pires, the Prime Minister Francisco de Sá Carneiro and Sá Carneiro's partner, Snu Abecassis, while heading to Porto
to take part in a rally for the Portuguese presidential election, 1981.
Conspiracy theorists claim he was the true target for assassination, for he had documents concerning the October surprise conspiracy theory and was planning on taking them to the United Nations's General Assembly. According to this conspiracy theory, Reagan promised to sell American weapons to Iran, to replace the old Portuguese ones; the Portuguese military were acting as middlemen (two of the Portuguese Presidential candidates, in 1980, were Generals, and one of them was promptly accused as responsible for the assassination by many Sá Carneiro supporters); a boat with the weapons was almost seized at Lisbon's harbor. This theory is reinforced with the fact that Amaro da Costa was the one renting the plane, and Sá Carneiro a last minute passenger (possibly as a decoy).
with the Grand Cross
of the Order of Prince Henry (Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique)
.
, Camarate
, December 4, 1980), daughter of Gustavo Correia Barata da Silva Pires and wife Maria Manuela da Silva Casaleiro Simões Vaz, without issue.
He was the brother of Manuel Rafael Lopes Amaro da Costa and the brother in law of politician
Roberto Carneiro.
Order of Prince Henry (Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique)
The Order of Prince Henry the Navigator is a Portuguese National Order of Knighthood created on June 2, 1960, to commemorate the fifth centenary of the death of the Infante Henry the Navigator , fifth son of King John I of Portugal and his queen, Philippa of Lancaster...
(Oeiras, Algés
Algés
Algés may refer to:* Algés Parish, a parish in Oeiras, Portugal* Algés River, a river in Algés Parish, Portugal...
, 18 April 1943 – Loures
Loures
Loures Municipality is a municipality to the north of Lisbon. Created on 26 July 1886 by a royal decree, the municipality currently occupies an area of 169 km² and has about 200,000 inhabitants . It borders the municipalities of Odivelas, Sintra, Mafra, Arruda dos Vinhos, Vila Franca de Xira...
, Camarate
Camarate
Camarate is a civil parish in the municipality Loures, district of Lisbon, Portugal. With a population of 23,000 inhabitants in 2001, the parish of Camarate extends into an area of 5.52 km².-History:...
, 4 December 1980) was a Portuguese
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...
Politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Background
He was a son of Civil EngineerCivil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
from the Instituto Superior Técnico
Instituto Superior Técnico
Instituto Superior Técnico is a reputed school of engineering, part of Universidade Técnica de Lisboa . IST is the largest and the most prestigious school of engineering in Portugal...
of the Technical University of Lisbon
Technical University of Lisbon
The Technical University of Lisbon is a Portuguese public university. It was created in 1930 in Lisbon, as a confederation of older schools, and comprises, nowadays, the faculties and institutes of veterinary medicine; agricultural sciences; economics and business administration; engineering,...
(Universidade Técnica de Lisboa) Manuel Rafael Amaro da Costa (b. Odemira
Odemira
Odemira is a municipality in the Portuguese region of Alentejo with a total area of 1,720.6 km² and a total population of 25,738 inhabitants....
, São Martinho das Amoreiras, January 10, 1910 -), of some rural Nobility descent, and wife (m. 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...
, 1937) Joaquina da Conceição Duarte Lopes Nunes (Odemira
Odemira
Odemira is a municipality in the Portuguese region of Alentejo with a total area of 1,720.6 km² and a total population of 25,738 inhabitants....
, Relíquias, January 22, 1914 - 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...
, Alvalade
Alvalade (Lisbon)
Alvalade is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Lisbon. It has a population of 9,620 inhabitants and a total area of 0.58 km².-External links:*...
, June 19, 1991).
Career
Like his father he was also a Civil EngineerCivil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
by training from the Instituto Superior Técnico
Instituto Superior Técnico
Instituto Superior Técnico is a reputed school of engineering, part of Universidade Técnica de Lisboa . IST is the largest and the most prestigious school of engineering in Portugal...
of the University of Lisbon.
After the Carnation 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...
, he founded, together with Diogo Freitas do Amaral
Diogo Freitas do Amaral
Diogo Pinto de Freitas do Amaral, GCC, GCSE, GCIH , usually referred to as either Freitas do Amaral or informally Freitas, is a Portuguese politician and law professor. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 12 March 2005 to 1 July 2006...
, the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), in which he became Deputy
Deputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
to the Assembly of the Republic
Assembly of the Republic
The Assembly of the Republic is the Portuguese parliament. It is located in a historical building in Lisbon, referred to as Palácio de São Bento, the site of an old Benedictine monastery...
and Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
.
After the victory of the Democratic Alliance
Democratic Alliance (Portugal)
The Democratic Alliance was a coalition in Portugal between the Social Democratic Party , the Democratic Social Center and the People's Monarchist Party , including also a group of...
, a coalition between the Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
, the Popular Monarchists and his own party, in the Portuguese legislative election, 1980
Portuguese legislative election, 1980
The Portuguese legislative election of 1980 took place on October 5.In January 1980, the Democratic Alliance, which had won the previous election, on December 2 of 1979, entered office with Francisco Sá Carneiro leading the government...
, he became the first civilian Defence Minister
Defence minister
A defence minister is a person in a cabinet position in charge of a Ministry of Defence, which regulates the armed forces in some sovereign nations...
since the Carnation 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...
in 1980-01-03.
He died in a plane crash, together with his wife Maria Manuel Simões Vaz da Silva Pires, the Prime Minister Francisco de Sá Carneiro and Sá Carneiro's partner, Snu Abecassis, while heading to Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
to take part in a rally for the Portuguese presidential election, 1981.
Conspiracy theorists claim he was the true target for assassination, for he had documents concerning the October surprise conspiracy theory and was planning on taking them to the United Nations's General Assembly. According to this conspiracy theory, Reagan promised to sell American weapons to Iran, to replace the old Portuguese ones; the Portuguese military were acting as middlemen (two of the Portuguese Presidential candidates, in 1980, were Generals, and one of them was promptly accused as responsible for the assassination by many Sá Carneiro supporters); a boat with the weapons was almost seized at Lisbon's harbor. This theory is reinforced with the fact that Amaro da Costa was the one renting the plane, and Sá Carneiro a last minute passenger (possibly as a decoy).
Decorations
He was decoratedDecorated
Decorated can have several meanings:*In architecture, the Decorated Period refers to a period and style of mediaeval Gothic architecture....
with the Grand Cross
Grand Cross
The phrase Grand Cross is used to denote the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. Sometimes the holders of the highest grade are referred to "knights grand cross" or just "grand crosses"; in other cases the actual insignia itself is called "the grand cross".Alternatively, in some other...
of the Order of Prince Henry (Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique)
Order of Prince Henry (Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique)
The Order of Prince Henry the Navigator is a Portuguese National Order of Knighthood created on June 2, 1960, to commemorate the fifth centenary of the death of the Infante Henry the Navigator , fifth son of King John I of Portugal and his queen, Philippa of Lancaster...
.
Family
He married Maria Manuel Simões Vaz da Silva Pires (August 26, 1946 – LouresLoures
Loures Municipality is a municipality to the north of Lisbon. Created on 26 July 1886 by a royal decree, the municipality currently occupies an area of 169 km² and has about 200,000 inhabitants . It borders the municipalities of Odivelas, Sintra, Mafra, Arruda dos Vinhos, Vila Franca de Xira...
, Camarate
Camarate
Camarate is a civil parish in the municipality Loures, district of Lisbon, Portugal. With a population of 23,000 inhabitants in 2001, the parish of Camarate extends into an area of 5.52 km².-History:...
, December 4, 1980), daughter of Gustavo Correia Barata da Silva Pires and wife Maria Manuela da Silva Casaleiro Simões Vaz, without issue.
He was the brother of Manuel Rafael Lopes Amaro da Costa and the brother in law of politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
Roberto Carneiro.