People
Silva Pais
Fernando da Silva Pais
- Born
- 16 November 1905, Barreiro
- Died
- 27 January 1981, Lisbon
Director of the political police, he warned Marcelo Caetano at 05:00 on 25 April that “the Revolution is out on the streets”. He only surrendered the DGS headquarters on the morning of the 26th, after the agents had killed four people on Rua António Maria Cardoso.
He was born in Barreiro in 1905.4 A major, in 1974 he was the director of the political police, the PIDE/DGS.1 At 05:00 on 25 April he telephoned the President of the Council (head of government), Marcelo Caetano: “Mr President, the Revolution is out on the streets! This is very serious.” Shortly afterwards, in another call, he advised him to take refuge in the Carmo Barracks, “because the GNR is solid”.21
During the day, the crowd surrounded the DGS headquarters on Rua António Maria Cardoso. Early in the evening, the agents fired on the crowd from the windows: four dead and 45 wounded.25 Later, at Otelo’s request, Spínola asked the former Interior Minister, César Moreira Baptista, who was being held at Pontinha, to persuade Silva Pais to surrender; Silva Pais said he was willing, if the Armed Forces protected the agents.23
On the morning of 26 April he received Lieutenant Commander Costa Correia, of the Navy, at the headquarters and told him that the organisation he headed was joining the Movement. Costa Correia asked him why, in that case, the portraits of the regime’s leaders were still on the wall; Silva Pais asked for chairs and took down one of the photographs himself. It was the surrender of the DGS.2 He died in Lisbon in 1981.4
On the walks
Places
In the timeline
They crossed paths with him
Fernando Giesteira
1955–1974
An 18-year-old waiter from Trás-os-Montes, he was the youngest of the four civilians killed by DGS gunfire on Rua António Maria Cardoso, at the end of the day on 25 April 1974.
Fernando Reis
1950–1974
A 23-year-old soldier on leave in Lisbon, he was one of the four people killed when the DGS fired on the crowd on Rua António Maria Cardoso, on the night of 25 April 1974.
João Arruda
1954–1974
A 20-year-old student from the Azores at the Lisbon Faculty of Letters, he was hit in the head by DGS gunfire at around 20:30 on 25 April 1974 and died at São José Hospital at 00:30 on 26 April.
José Barneto
1935–1974
A 38-year-old clerk and father of four, he was killed by DGS gunfire outside the headquarters of the political police, at the end of the day on 25 April 1974.
António de Spínola
1910–1996
A general and author of “Portugal e o Futuro” (Portugal and the Future), he received Marcelo Caetano’s surrender at the Carmo Barracks, presided over the National Salvation Junta and was President of the Republic until he resigned, on 30 September 1974. On 11 March 1975 he fled to Spain.
Marcelo Caetano
1906–1980
The last head of government of the Estado Novo, he took refuge in the Carmo Barracks in the early hours of 25 April 1974 and, besieged, handed power over to General Spínola. The next day he was taken to Madeira.
Notes on the sources2
- Whether it was Silva Pais who gave the order to fire: Jofre Alves’s chronology attributes to him, together with senior inspector Coelho Dias, the orders to fire on the crowd at 13:30; the other sources do not say so.
- The dates and places of birth and death come only from Wikidata.
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Sources
- 1Operação Viragem Histórica. Comissão Comemorativa 50 Anos 25 de Abril — consulted on 2 October 2026
- 2Movimentações do dia 25 de Abril. Associação 25 de Abril — consulted on 2 October 2026
- 3Cronologia do 25 de Abril, por Jofre Alves (blogue Abril de Novo, 2010), na Biblioteca Digital do CD25A. Centro de Documentação 25 de Abril – Universidade de Coimbra — consulted on 2 October 2026
- 4Fernando da Silva Pais (Q116923154). Wikidata — consulted on 2 October 2026
- 5Fernando Luís Barreiros dos Reis (biografia). Museu do Aljube Resistência e Liberdade — consulted on 2 October 2026