F. da Costa Gomes; General Served as Portuguese President
Francisco da Costa Gomes, 87, a former commander in chief of Portugal’s armed forces who became head of state after a 1974 army coup, died Tuesday in Lisbon of respiratory problems.
After heading the military from 1972 to 1974, Costa Gomes was one of seven members of the junta that took power after a coup ousted Portugal’s 41-year dictatorship on April 25, 1974.
Gen. Antonio de Spinola headed the junta but stepped down five months later. Costa Gomes, also a general, then served as president until elections in 1976.
Costa Gomes was appointed undersecretary of state for the armed forces by dictator Antonio Salazar in 1958.
He later was fired because he disagreed with the wars that Portugal pursued against independence movements in Africa starting in 1961.
When Salazar died he was replaced by Marcello Caetano, and Costa Gomes returned as armed forces chief. Costa Gomes resigned six weeks before the coup.
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