The Portuguese agrarian reform: why no violent repression?

• Autor(a) principal: Marques, Ana Rita Monteiro
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/19043
• topic: Agrarian reform; PREC; Political violence; Democratic transition; Portugal; Reforma agrária; Violência política; Transição democrática

This dissertation examines the question of non-violence in the process of implementation of the Portuguese agrarian reform (1974-6). Through data and interview analysis the dissertation explains that, despite the state crises and violent actions that were perpetrated, during the democratic transition, in the urban centers of the country, the land occupations, both legal and illegal, do not lead to violent action in the countryside. Using triangulation as a preferred method it is demonstrated that the articulation of a set of factors contributes to a peaceful process. It was the absence of conservative forces as well as the lack of a class organization along with the radicalism of left-wing forces and their symbiotic articulation with governmental forces that makes so that none of the actors resort to violent actions, despite what was to be expected.