Francisco da Costa Gomes

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Francisco da Costa Gomes
Francisco da Costa Gomes
President of the National Salvation Junta
Order: 2nd
Term of Office September 30, 1974 - July 13, 1976
Predecessor: António de Spínola
Successor: Junta abolished
President of Portugal
Order: 16th (2nd since the Carnation revolution)
Term of Office September 30, 1974 - July 13, 1976
Predecessor: António de Spínola
Successor: António Ramalho Eanes
Date of Birth June 30, 1914
Place of Birth: Chaves
Date of Death July 31, 2001
Place of Death: Cascais
Wife: Maria Estela Veloso de Antas Varajão
Occupation: Military officer (Marshal), High school mathematics teacher
Political Party: Independent
Religion: Roman Catholic

Francisco da Costa Gomes, ComTE, GOA (pronounced [fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃku dɐ ˈkɔʃtɐ gomɨʃ]]; Chaves, June 30, 1914-Lisbon, Lapa, July 31, 2001) one of eleven children of António José Gomes (Chaves, Santo Estêvão – Lisbon, Socorro, July 1, 1922) and wife (m. Chaves, January 17, 1901) and wife Idalina Júlia Monteiro da Costa (Chaves, May 27, 1880Porto, February 18, 1967), was a Portuguese military officer and politician, sixteenth President of the Portuguese Republic (the second after the Carnation Revolution).

He married at the See of Viana do Castelo on December 8, 1952 Maria Estela Veloso de Antas Varajão, born in Viana do Castelo on March 23, 1927, daughter of João de Campos Varajão and wife Angélica Martins Veloso (b. Barcelos), and had an only son Francisco da Costa Gomes.

He was involved in a revolutionary attempt in 1961 led by the Minister of Defense, General Botelho Moniz. In 1970 he occupied the post of Commander of the Military Region of Angola where he remodelled the chief-command and was the first to try and form a military agreement with UNITA against the MPLA and the FNLA.

Official portrait of President Costa Gomes by Joaquim Rebocho.
Official portrait of President Costa Gomes by Joaquim Rebocho.

On September 12, 1972 he was called to mainland Portugal to occupy the post of Chief of the Armed Forces, replacing General Venâncio Deslandes. However he would be replaced in March 1974, a few days before the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974, because he refused to swear his loyalty to the President of the Council of Ministers Marcello Caetano in a public ceremony.

After the Revolution he was one of the seven military leaders that formed the National Salvation Junta. Between April 25 and September 30 he was the second in command of the Portuguese state behind António Spínola.

He assumed the Presidency of the Republic when named by the Junta after the resignation of Spínola on September 30, 1974 and occupied the post until June 27, 1976 when in the first Presidential election the Portuguese chose General Ramalho Eanes to succeed him.

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Preceded by
António de Spínola
President of the National Salvation Junta
1974–1976
Succeeded by
Junta abolished
Preceded by
António de Spínola
President of Portugal
1974–1976
Succeeded by
Ramalho Eanes
Persondata
NAME Costa Gomes, Francisco da
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION President of Portugal
DATE OF BIRTH June 30, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Chaves, Portugal
DATE OF DEATH July 31, 2001
PLACE OF DEATH Cascais, Portugal
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