24 Facts About Humberto Delgado

Humberto da Silva Delgado was a General of the Portuguese Air Force, diplomat and politician.

Humberto Delgado was the son of Joaquim Delgado and Maria do O Pereira and had three younger sisters, Deolinda, Aida and Lidia.

Humberto Delgado began his military career by joining the Colegio Militar, in Lisbon, which he attended from 1916 to 1922.

Humberto Delgado participated in the 28 May 1926 revolution that overthrew the First Republic and created the Ditadura Nacional, which would pave the way to the Estado Novo.

Humberto Delgado would be a loyal supporter of the regime, becoming the Director of the Secretariado Nacional de Aeronautica Civil, General-Commander of the Legiao Portuguesa, Deputy National Commissar of the Mocidade Portuguesa and Procurator to the Corporative Chamber.

Humberto Delgado would be the youngest general in Portuguese history.

Humberto Delgado published an anti-democratic book, Da Pulhice do 'Homo Sapiens' in 1933, which attacked both the "crooks monarchy" and the "bandits republic" in his subtitle.

Humberto Delgado wrote in praise of Adolf Hitler, who he considered as a genius and an example of human possibilities in the fields of politics, diplomacy, social organization and military, in 1941.

Humberto Delgado came to the Azores islands during World War II, by the occasion of the Portuguese-British Agreement.

The British Admiral detested these jokes from Humberto Delgado and vetoed his appointment.

Humberto Delgado replied that he knew it but he just could not help doing it.

Incumbent president Craveiro Lopes had been coerced by Prime Minister and de facto dictator Antonio Salazar into standing down after only one term, Humberto Delgado faced arch-conservative naval minister Americo Tomas, the regime's candidate, in the 1958 presidential election.

Humberto Delgado decided to launch his candidacy as an independent, taking the traditional opposition by surprise.

The Portuguese Communist Party reacted fiercely and did not spare Humberto Delgado labeling him as "Fascist" and "General Coca-Cola", in an allusion to the General's pro-Americanism.

Humberto Delgado campaigned vigorously, even though he seemingly faced impossible odds.

Humberto Delgado was well aware that the president's power to remove the prime minister from office was essentially the only check on Salazar's power.

Tomas' margin was inflated by massive ballot-box stuffing by the PIDE, leading to speculation that Humberto Delgado might have actually won had Salazar allowed an honest election.

Humberto Delgado was expelled from the Portuguese military, and took refuge in the Brazilian embassy before going into exile, spending much of it in Brazil and later in Algeria, as a guest of Ben Bella.

The official version claimed that Humberto Delgado was shot and killed in self-defence despite Humberto Delgado being unarmed and his secretary strangled.

Casimiro Monteiro, a PIDE agent, shot and killed General Humberto Delgado, and strangled his secretary de Campos.

PIDE subsequently claimed that the original plan was an extraordinary rendition in which Humberto Delgado was to be kidnapped and brought back to Portugal for trial.

In 1990, Humberto Delgado was posthumously promoted to Marshal of the Portuguese Air Force, the only person to hold this rank posthumously.

Humberto Delgado's mortal remains were translated to the National Pantheon at 5 October 1990, following a decision of the Portuguese Parliament.

Humberto Delgado was married to Maria Iva Theriaga Leitao Tavares de Andrade, and they had three children:.