Rightist plot against Spinola alleged

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33655, 3 October 1974, Page 13

Rightist plot against Spinola alleged

(NJ.P.A.-Reutcr —Copyright • • LISBON, October 2. A Rightist assassination plot against General \ntonio de Spinola was revealed as 7000 jubilant Left-wing trade unionists early today celebrated Portugal’s new Leftward shift at an emotional mass meeting in Lisbon’s main bullring. A high-ranking Government official, who asked not to be identified, told journalists at a briefing last night that extreme Right-wing counterrevolutionaries had planned to kill General Spinola last week-end.

I He said that this could jhave served as a pretext for i a Right-wing uprising I against the Government, | which includes both Socialist {and Communist ministers. j Because of political differ- { ences with his military supporters General Spinola on (Monday handed over the { Presidency he has held vir|tually since the .Army-led; (April coup to General Francisco da Costa Gomes, a moderate regarded as sympathetic to the Left. Tension has eased in Lisbon after three days when Portugal seemed near to civil war. Roadblocks set up by Left-wingers to stop a pro-Spinola rally have disappeared. The Government official also said that early on Saturday the 21-man Council of State rejected a request from General Spinola that he be granted full powers

and a state of siege declared. Later that day General Spinola himself called off the big rally of what he had called the “silent majority.” Another 58 people, all believed to be Right-wingers, were detained jesterday to jadd to 79 arrested after Gen|eral Spinola’s resignation, it iwas officially announced 1 About 7000 trade unionists, including many Com{munists, early today roared support for. the Left-leaning military rulers at a mass rally in the bullring. The crowd, officially celebrating the fourth birthday of the Portuguese trade union congress, made no secret of the real cause of their jubilation — General Spinola’s replacement by General Costa Gomes. They paraded round the arena decorated with posters; saying "down with the reac-

|tionaries — popular vigillance,” and "workers unite.” . and raised clenched fists ! aloft as they chanted “long Hive the Armed FoVes Movement." President Costa Gomes’s >new Government took office .last night. Except for being I shorn of two ministers close Ito General Spinola it is unchanged from the broad (coalition which took office iin July. ' The two ousted men are I Major Jose Sanches Osorio, ■ the Information Minister, and Lieutenant-Colonel Mario Firmino Miguel, the Defence Minister, who had ■ close personal ti»s with General Spinola. ; The new Government is i headed as before by the austere Left-winger, Brigadier Vasco Goncalves, as Prime {Minister. I General Spinola. now officially described simply as a general, is living at his Lisbon town house which has a heavy guard of troops — asked for, a Government spokesman said, by the I monocled cavalry general I himself.