COMMUNIST AND POLICE REACTION TO THE ARREST OF ALVARO CUNHAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002700150007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 18, 1999
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 4, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

C LAS_IrICATION 25X1A2g
Approved For ReCTe4999I10NUAQ4lf2-0045' (J01
INFORMATION REPORT CD No.
25X1A9a
COUNTRY Portugal.
DATE DISTR. 2 ::AY 1349
SUBJECT Communist and Police Reaction to Arrest of NO. OF PAGES 25 28
Alvaro CUNHAL
PLACE
ACQUIRED
25X1A6a
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
DATE OF IN SUPPLEMENT TO
25X1X6
REPORT NO.
25X1A2g
1. Greater activity on the part of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP),
inspired by the arrest of Alvaro CUNHAL, was called for by a representative
of the Central Committee at a recent meeting of the Party's local committee
in Lisbon. While regretting the arrest of CUNHAL, the Central Committee's
representative asserted that such police action would not interfere with
the objectives of what he called the 50,000 enrolled members of the PCP.
2. Although police action against Communists diminished after the arrest of
CUNRAL. on 29 Parch they seized in a raid on a house in the rua. Particular
a Avenida Afonso III documents reportedly disclosing the organization of
the PCP in the southern half of Portugal. In this raid they arrested Jaime
doe Santos S]!;RBA, an employee of the Naval Arsenal at Alfeite; Laura doe
Santos Correia SERRA, his wife; and Augusto da Pereira de SOUSA, the Party
functionary who controlled the organization in the Street Railways Company
of Lisbon?
3. At the ti:,ie of the arrest of Alvaro CUAHiAL the police also apprehended Militao
Bessa RIJ3EIRO and a woman official of-the Party. CUNHAL reparbedly refuses
to disclose details of his activities or any information concerning the
Party. By 4 April, he had been transferred to the Lisbon Penitentiary, but
RI13EIRO had remained at Oporto.
4. The political nature of the documents found at the time of CUNHAL?S arrest
further justifies the contention of the Portuguese Police that CUNHAL has
been a member of the Secretariat in the capacity of political secretary
rather than Secretary General of the PCP as believed by the rank and file
.Party members. These documents included correspondence with Communist
leaders in France and other countries and alleged instructions from the
Cominf arm.
Document No.
NO CHANGE In Class, ~.?,?,
~I1t1A~ .
C LASS '[ON
~DISTRi3UTION
C] DECLASSIFIED
Class. CHANGED TO: TS
DDA Mem., 4 Apr 77
Auth s DDA REG. 77 l7GS
Lat e t I MAY 1918 ]By;
Approved For Release 1999/09/09 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002700150007-3