PORTUGUESE COMMUNIST PARTY PENETRATION OF THE NATIONAL SYNDICATES IN THE ALGARVE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002100070001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 23, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION. a?a., Or:' L~.If.JJ ,/; 141
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ACQUIRED
Portugal
Portuguese Communist Party Penetration of
the Stational Syndicates in the A1E;arve
DATE OF Il4F0
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DATE DISTR. 23 November 1948
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SUPPLEMENT
REPORT NO.
1., In the course of investigations, begun on 20 :lay 1948, into the subversive
activities or the Portuguese Corslunist Party in the Algarve,. it was learned
that the PCP extended into all the most important industrial centers, and was
directed and controlled by a Provincial Coru:tittee, The Provincial Cosanittee
was directed and controlled by functionaries of the Party, one of whom was a
rienber of the Central Commnittoe.
Z. At the time of the arrest of the most important members of the local Party
organizations at Faro. Olhao, Vila Real do Santo Antonio, Portinao, Silves,
and Lagos, where activity was especially concentrated among the laboring classes
in the fish-canning and core industries, by the formation of Factory Cells in
Factories and Industry Cornittoes for the direction of tasks distributed to
members of those Cells, Syndical Cells wore also discovered which carried on
their operations within the respective syndicates and sections, and their members
were arrested?
3, Despite the fact that cone nonbers of the Syndical Cells were in contact with
the local organization and in sans cases were even the members responsible for
the local or regional level. it is certain that all direction for the fulfil-
ment of Party tasks in the syndical field came from the member responsible
for syndical work, and that syndical work "teas a separate level in the make-up
of Party organization, oven though the responsible member belonged to the
Provincial Co.-nit-tee whore the manner of oxecuting the commands of the Party
were discuaased and apnroved.
Jose Rodrigues VITORILrO, pros;dent of the board of the Faro District branch
of the rational Syndicate of Cork horkers, with its scat at Silves, confessed
to being responsible for all syndical work of the PCP in the Algarve, The
direction of that work was planned in the Provincial Committee on which he
served. He held several meetings of members of the boards of syndicates. which
took place in the office of the Portimao Section of the National Syndicate of
Canning Industry Yorkers, at which a functionary of the Party also appeared,
as well as Ilidio RODRIGUES, president of the board of that section, Pedro
FL STI'.;O Jr., president of the board of the Vila Real section of the same
syndicate, and Joao do Sousa Ct.C71OJA, president of the board of
the Oihao branch of the rational Syndicate of Canning Industry Workers,
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5,, At 01hao. in the office of this same syndicate, VITORIANTO held a meeting
which was attended by those mentioned above and also by Inaoio FLOR, who
at the time was the secretary of the Lagos Section of the same syndicate"
6. At these meetings plans were laid down for the activity which was to be
carried on in the syndioates?of each of those present, in support of
claims and pretensions of the workmen which would be presented by committees
which the Party organization, by means of its Factory Celle, undertook to
forma
7. At the meeting at 01hao, hold a short time before the syndical elections of
1943, it was decided that all should t;,, within the scope of the decision
of the Undersecretary of Corporationa,.to be re-elected so that the ?*Arty
might not lose the posts it had acquired,
8? In compliance with these Party orders each one tried to be elected, together
with the other members of the board who were at the same time members of the
Party or with individuals considered to be sympathetic.
9? At Silver, in the elections of the Directive Bodies of the National Syndicate
of Carkvrorkers, two lists were presented, one by the board, the other by the
opposition. The Party, however, took care not to lose the post of president
of the board. In the list presented by the outgoing board- of which VITORIANO
was president - a certain Joao du Conoeicao PJIIIIN , a member of the PCP
responsible for agitation and propaganda in the Silver local organisation.
xras proposed for the office of president, whereas in the list presented by
the opposition VITORIAtJO was chosen for the same office. Whichever list was
elected the Party was certain of having at least the presidency of the board,
PAI:*? NHA. confessed this after his arrest.
10, Some members of the outgoinj; Directive Bodies were named in each of the two
lists presented, from which it May be judged that they were drawn up by
agreement and so that they would retain their positions no matter which list
was elected. Actually, the opposition list was elected,
11. In the Lagoa Section of the National Syndicate of Canning Industry Workers;
Inacio FLOR, the secretary of the board and a confessed member of the Local
Committee of the PCP, after observing that the president of that board was
not amenable, planned to replace him, He therefore drew up a list in which' his
name repla'-ed the president and asked the board to submit it to the general
assembly for approval, The president, Jose da Coneeieao RODRIGUES, drew up
another list, on which FLMcs name did not appear. The treasurer of the
board, Uanuel REGATAO, a rior:-ber of the PCP, was called upon to choose which
list the board would submit to the assembly. and he sided with FLOR3 Thus
the list drawn up by the PCP amber vras presented to the assembly. RODDRIGUES
then obtained sufficient signatures, in keeping with the decision of the
Undersecretary of Corporations, to present an opposition list to. the assembly,
but the one presented by the board was accepted
12,, At Portimao there was not even a struggle. The local organisation of the
PCP made up a list with the names of the retiring members of the directive
bodies and within each factory collected the necessary signatures to present
it to the assembly, which elected it. It has now-been determined that the
list elected in 1945 had been drawn up by Domingos dos SA TOS, the secretary
of the general assembly, who has been a member of the PCP for a relatively
long time and has served on the local c ,,ittee. An analysis of the
elections shows that in the general auserably the president. Joaquin Inacio
RODRIOUES, is a member of a Factory Coll and has hold at least one meeting
of the PC? in his residence. On the board of directors the president, Ilicio
RODRIGUES, is the member responsible for the Syndical Cell. The secretary
Virgilio Nunes CUCO, is a member of that Cell. The treasurer, Joao Filipe IAROUS
is also a member of the same Cella
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l3o Ilidio RODRIGUES was. also a member of the board of the Faro District
branch of the National Syndicate of Canning Industry Workers" with
offices at Olhaod, as the representative of the Portimao Section of
that Syndicate. He also was a member of the Central Corporate Commission
of the Canning Industry.,
l4., After the elections at Portimao in the Faro District branch of the
National Syndicate of Office Workers, a petition with fifteen signatures
was presented, claiming irregularities. The petition was circulated by
Antonio Pereira FEIV"A'DES - the only one of the signers who was present
at the general assembly - who is a member of the Local Committee of the
PCP, and who later confessed that in so doing he was merely following
instructions received from the local organization,
15. At Olhao too? there was no struggle. Just as at Portimao,, it was the
local organization which drew up the list and got the necessary signatures,
thus bringing about the reelection of the president of the board. Joao de
Sousa CACHOJA, who had been elected to that post last year to replace
Germinal SE14UEIRA, also electing Ilidio RODRIGUES as a member of the board.
With the arrest of Ilidio RODRIGIJi:S in July, his place on the Central
Corporate Committee was filled by CACHOJA, who was arrested only on 16
September. The latter confessed to being a member of the PCP and admitted
having taken part in all meetings held by the~syndieal organization of
the Party. The president of the Vila Real Section of the syndicate,
Pedro FAUSTINO Jr., was also a member of the 01hao board, headed by
CACIHOJA; FAUSTINO is also a member of the PCP.
16. At Vila Real de Santo Antonio, in the elections of the directive bodies
in that Section of the Pational Syndicate of Canning Industry Workers,
the board presented a list in which each of the current members was pro-
posed for reelection. This, according to later confessions, was done
upon instruction from the PCP0 In 1945 a board had been elected after
having; been proposed by members of the local organization of the PCP.
During the course of its tenure one substitution had been necessary, and
Sebastiao Filipe BELIAO had been temporarily appointed treasurer. He
has admitted being a member of the Regional Committee of the PCP and the
local representative of the Syndical Cello BELIAO received his orders
from Pedro F1L1 STIPTO Jr., the president of the board, who in turn received
his at the meetings conducted by VITORIMTO, with other syndical representa-
tives. The syndical cell at Vila Real was composed of FAUSTIPO, BELIAO,
and Jose Cuatodio RIJFIPTTO, all members of the board.
17. The officers of the general assembly wore elected on a list chosen by the
local organization of the PCP,
18. There was also a Syndical Cell in the board of the Vila Real Section of
the Faro branch of the National Syndicate of Office Workers. The Cell,
which was in close contact with BELIAO, was composed of Ilidio Caraca
RODRIGUES, the secretary, and Cristiano Augusto XAVIER, the treasurer,
RODRIGUES, in addition to his syndical activities within the PCP, was
also a member of a Class Committee of the same Party, set up among the
class of office-workers and bill-collectors there. XAVIER, in addition
to the syndical activities was the one responsible for this Class
.Committee and a member of the local committee of the PCP0
19,, In the general assembly the two secretaries, Francisco'A1veu do Carmo
PESSA?;HA and Antonio DUARTE. were members of a cell of the, PCP, in contact
with the Local Committee.
2O. At Faro the representative of the Lisbon District branch of the National
Syndicate of '.tilling Industry Workers was Joaquim Jeronimo GONi'ALVES,
employed in the mill of the Algarve Industrial Company, who after arrest
confessed to being a member of the Local Committee of the PCP there.
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21. To s;.ri up, the following nerlbers of syndicates in the ILlgarve have
been arrested and their rtssponsibilitius proven:
Jose Rodrij;ues VIT )RI1..:0, president of the board of thu Faro
District branch of the *'atior_al Syndicate of Cork Uorkers, with
offices at Silvus.
Joao de Sousa CLC'IOJL . president of the board of the Faro District
?branch of the ITatior;al Syndicate of Canning Industry Lorkers
with offices at Olhao.
Ilidio iWDRIGUUL, president of the board of the Port:::iao Section of
the rational Syndicate of Cunning Industry t,'ork_ers.
Pedro FAUST'IriO jr., presi{'er:t of the board of the Vilu Real Section
of the National Syndicate of Carinint; Industry Porkers.
Inacio FLOR, president of the board of the Laf;os Section of the
National Syndicate of Canning Industry iorkers.
Joao Filipe Lf.RUt~;>i:, truusuror of the board of the ?ortiriao Section
of the P'at .o,.1 Syndicate of Canning Industry Workurs.
Joso Custodio RirTI!IO, secrotary of the board of the Vila Reul Section
of the National Syndicate of Canning, Industry Workers.
Ilidio Caraca RJURIGU ;S, secretary of the board of the Vila Peal
Section of the Faro District branch of the `rational Syndicate of
office '*:orkers,
Sobastiao Filipe 131,LIAO , trea;;urer of the board of the Vila Real
Section of the ?iutionul Syndicato of Canning Industry i;orkers.
Cnristiano 1.ui;usto XI.VII:R, treasurer of the board of the Vila Real
Section of tho Faro iristrict branc~i or the 'rational Syndicate of
Office l,orkers,
Joaquin Juronir:no (rJ"C! 12ri;S, Faro rt-pre .un.tative of the Lisbon District
branch of the "ationul Syndicate of 'Iillirn? Intl;cstry i~;orkers
Jose da Conceicao proposed, but not t:lectud, as president of
the Faro District brunch of the lratio:ra1 Syndicate of Cork l.orkers,
with offices at Silver.
On conditional liberty:
Lntonio secretary of the general aloe~.tbly of the Vila Real
Section of thv faro District branch of the ?atioral Syndicate
of Office workers.
iiembers of s,mdicato ., also of the PCP, not yet arrested:
Francisco Alvos do Ca.rr:no PESSI.'_'iIL, secretary of the general assembly of
the Faro. iristrict branch of the 'rational Syndicate of Office ;.orkers.
I)ominj;os dos :il.T Te)S, secretary of the ;encral assembly of the "ational
Syndicate of Office
Viri;ilio Nunes CUC,), secretary of to board of the "ationa1 Syndicate
of Office Z:or].ers.
.ianuel RLGL.'mQ, trousurer of the board of the Lu{;os Section of The
National Syndicate of Office Workers.
22., l )-s rei;ards the other national syndicates in the Algarve no connection
With the PCP has as yet been f oundd, but investii;atioris rv?e continuing,.
Considerin,; the security meat;ores tr ::ich the Party organization takes,
these investiirations must necessarily be slow, as indeed the previous
onus were, since only now hers it buen ]possible to obtain concrete proof
of the rienbersi-dip of those cited :drove in the PCP.
RET
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