Humberto Delgado

Humberto Delgado, known as the “Fearless General,” was a military officer, pilot, and politician. He was the founder of TAP, Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, in 1945 and, as a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic in 1958, he became famous for one of the most memorable phrases in Portuguese politics: “Obviously, I dismiss you!”

Humberto da Silva Delgado was born on 15 May 1906 in Torres Novas.

He attended the Military College (1917–1922), the Army School, and a pilot training course (1926–1928), pursuing a military career in the Air Force. In 1944, he was appointed Director-General of the Civil Aviation Secretariat, founding TAP, Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, in 1945. Representing Portugal in 1947 on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, he was appointed Military and Aeronautical Attaché in Washington in 1952, serving as Head of the Military Mission and NATO Representative.

He ran for the presidency in 1958 but was defeated in a fraudulent election. He remained active in opposition to the regime, which led to his exile in Brazil and Algeria.

He was assassinated near Olivença (Spain) in February 1965. Initially buried in Spain, his remains were transferred to Lisbon in 1975 and subsequently to the National Pantheon in 1990.