Word: spinola
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General Antonio de Spinola, who assumed the presidency of Portugal after the military coup last April, would like to be regarded as the liberator of his country. Unfortunately, Portugal has been drifting rapidly toward chaos ever since the revolt. The question now is whether fear of anarchy may force Spinola-like so many generals before him-to impose dictatorship on his country in the name of law and order...
Last week his government took two key steps toward imposing restraints on Portugal's new-found sense of freedom. Since the coup, Portugal has been virtually paralyzed by a succession of strikes and work stoppages. From Belem Palace, Spinola asked for tough new guidelines on pay raises for the unions. He also succeeded in ending a three-day strike of postal workers by warning them that if they did not return to their jobs he would send in the army to sort the mail. Military arm-twisting was also used to end a month-long walkout at the Timex...
Gradual Stages. Things seemed to be getting even better when President Antonio de Spinola inaugurated new governors for Angola and Mozambique, and then, for the first time ever in a public speech about the territories, used the word that Africans had been waiting for him to speak: independence. "Self-determination cannot be dissociated from democracy," he said, adding: "Neither can we dissociate self-determination from independence...
...declaration suggested that Spinola was willing to let sink his pet idea of a "Lusitanian Federation"-a close alliance of Portugal with semi-autonomous African territories. As the general's speech went on, however, a chill set in. In an apparent volte-face from his earlier tone, he outlined four gradual stages of decolonization, only at the end of which would the possibility of independence be broached...
...this may merely have been Spinola's way of asserting his determination not to see white settler interests sold down the river in the territories. However it was meant, liberation-movement leaders at the annual meeting in Mogadishu, Somalia, of the Organization of African Unity-composed of 42 African states-read neocolonialism into every word. Declared Frelimo Vice President Marcelino dos Santos: "Our attacks will be maintained and even increased until independence is conceded under the sole leadership of Frelimo." At week's end, talks with Guinean liberation leaders, which had been transferred from London to Algiers, were...