CARMONA, ANTNIO OSCAR DE FRAGOSO

born Nov. 24, 1869, Lisbon died April 18, 1951, Lisbon general and statesman who rose to political prominence in the wake of the successful military revolt of 1926 and who as president of Portugal from 1928 to 1951 served as a symbol of continuity during the regime (193268) of Antnio de Oliveira Salazar. Carmona, a graduate (1888) of the Royal Military College, had risen to the rank of general by 1922. He took part in the successful army coup of May 1926 and, after serving briefly as foreign minister, became premier in July. He named as finance minister Salazar, who soon came to overshadow Carmona himself. After a bloody rebellion had been put down in February 1927, Carmona called a plebiscite and was elected president. He named Salazar as premier in 1932. In the following year a constitution for the New State was adopted, under which Carmona was elected president three times: in 1935, 1942, and 1949.