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Portugal PUBLIC ORDER AND INTERNAL SECURITY
Following the end of the long authoritarian regime in
Portugal in April 1974, the system of internal security
was
reorganized. The Public Security Police (Polícia de
Segurança
Pública--PSP) and the National Republican Guard (Guarda
Nacional
Republicana--GNR), viewed as having been active supporters
of the
regime, were put temporarily under military command. As of
1990,
internal security was the responsibility of the Ministry
of
Justice and the Ministry of Internal Administration
(formerly the
Ministry of Interior). The forces of security were
controlled by,
and fully responsible to, the government.
The revolutionary turmoil of 1974 to 1976 imposed a
severe
challenge on the maintenance of law and order. In addition
to
occasional violence by leftist and rightist groups, the
emergence
of separatist activity in the Azores and Madeira posed
threats to
the territorial integrity of Portugal. After
constitutional
government was established in 1976, political violence
abated.
Between 1980 and 1986, however, an ultra left-wing
terrorist
group, Popular Forces of the 25th of April (Forças
Populares do
25 Abril--FP-25), its name referring to the coup d'etat of
April
25, 1974, conducted a campaign of bombing, assassinations,
and
bank robberies
(see Terrorist Groups
, this ch.).
Data as of January 1993
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