Today, in the year 2006, American President Gerald Ford passed away. He governed after President Nixon, from August 1974 to January 1977, years in which thousands of Azoreans emigrated to the USA!
In 1975, Portugal made several agreements with communist parties and the Warsaw Pact, namely with the USSR, Poland and Bulgaria! Communist danger was looming! In May, on the 29th of that same year, American President Gerald Ford had asked German Chancellor Helmut Schimdt how Europe would react if the Azores became independent, to which the German ruler replied that the Communists would understand Azorean independence as a result of American meddling!
On May 31, 1975, the CIA informed Kissinger of the possibility of a separatist coup in the Azores and the Americans’ fears were related to the Lajes base because there was a danger of losing the base and they were afraid of being held responsible for an unsuccessful coup leading to loss of the base.
On 6 June there was another event of great importance, namely the movement of farmers in São Miguel, Ponta Delgada where autonomist and separatist forces were present! The Azoreans also feared that Portugal would become communist, with the danger of losing contact with their emigrant relatives in the USA!
Last modified: 1 de February, 2022
