The Laughter of Cunhal

Alvaro Cunhal, Portugal’s leading Communist, was challenged by Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci to explain his party’s dismal showing in the April elections. “We Communists,” Cunhal declared, “do not accept the rules of the game of elections. … I care nothing for elections. Nothing!” Then, according to Signorina Fallaci’s text, the uncommonly frank Communist laughed, “Ha, ha! Portugal will never be a country of democratic freedoms. … It won’t be a fellow-traveler of your bourgeois democracies, because we [Communists] won’t allow it to be. . . . We are equipped to prevent it [and a return to fascism], thanks to our alliance with the military.”

But things have changed in Portugal since the Cunhal-Fallaci interview, and the Communist leader is, needless to say, no longer laughing. The Communist takeover that seemed inevitable only a few weeks ago no longer seems inevitable, and Cunhal and his comrades are frankly worried. As for the vaunted alliance with the military, it is now in a state of shambles, and Cunhal’s comrades within the armed forces appear much weaker than had been assumed.

PW

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Peter P. Witonski

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Alvaro Cunhal, Portugal’s leading Communist, was challenged by Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci to explain his party’s dismal showing in the April elections. “We Communists,” Cunhal declared, “do not accept the rules of the game of elections. … I care nothing for elections. Nothing!” Then, according to Signorina Fallaci’s text, the uncommonly frank Communist laughed, “Ha, ha! Portugal will never be a country of democratic freedoms. … It won’t be a fellow-traveler of your bourgeois democracies, because we [Communists] won’t allow it to be. . . . We are equipped to prevent it [and a return to fascism], thanks to our alliance with the military.”

But things have changed in Portugal since the Cunhal-Fallaci interview, and the Communist leader is, needless to say, no longer laughing. The Communist takeover that seemed inevitable only a few weeks ago no longer seems inevitable, and Cunhal and his comrades are frankly worried. As for the vaunted alliance with the military, it is now in a state of shambles, and Cunhal’s comrades within the armed forces appear much weaker than had been assumed.