Yes Mata, Marceline

Born in a peasant family of papel ethnic groups. Martigno da Mata, the father of Marcelino, soon moved to Brazil , but the family remained in Portuguese Guinea . Marceline received primary education in a rural school, secondary - in a private school in Bissau . After studying, he returned to Ponte Nova.

In 1959, brother Marceline was called up to serve in the contingent of the Portuguese colonial troops. Instead, he appeared to Marceline da Mata. The draft committee found him fit for military service. January 3, 1960 Marcelino da Mata became a serviceman of the Portuguese army ^[1] .

Special Forces Commander

Guinea-Bissau War of Independence began in 1963 . Marceline da Mata served in the ground forces , then underwent nine-month special training for service in special commando units ^[2] . He fought against the Marxist rebel movement PAIGK .

Marceline da Mata has proven himself in battle, participated in 2412 operations of the Portuguese special forces . The special operations he led against PAIGC were notable for their stiffness, audacity and effectiveness. Yes, Mata preferred targeted attacks, sudden raids with the defeat of partisan bases. Under the command of Guillerme Alpoin Calvan Marcelino da Mata, he participated in Operation Mar Verde - Green Sea - a raid in Guinea with the aim of releasing Portuguese prisoners, destroying PAIGC infrastructure and attacking the Sekou Toure regime ^[3] . He was awarded five military crosses (three - 1st degree, one - 2nd, one - 3rd) and the Order of the Tower and Sword - the largest set of awards in the history of the Portuguese army ^[2] .

With toughness to the enemy, da Mata was characterized by a careful attitude to subordinate fighters. On this basis, he had conflicts with Captain Kalvan and General Spinola ^[3] .

By 1974, Marceline da Mata had the officer rank of captain . He was the commander of Comandos Africanos - black fighters of the Portuguese special forces:

All commandos and police obeyed my orders.
Marceline da Mata ^[4]

Political Opinions

Politically, Marceline da Mata adhered to the right views, was positioned as a patriot of Portugal and a supporter of the concept of "a single Lusitanian world ." He was a supporter of the creation of a federation of Portuguese-speaking countries on three continents ^[4] .

I have never betrayed my Portuguese nationality. One animal from the Internal Administration told me: “You were colonized” ... I replied that I was not colonized. My ancestors were, and I was born a Portuguese .
Marceline da Mata ^[2]

Among the leaders of PAIGC there were many caboverdianushi - immigrants from the Cape Verde Islands , to whom the inhabitants of the continental part of Portuguese Guinea were hostile. This hostility was shared by Marcelina da Mata. PAIGK seemed to him an instrument of caboverdianush, and this initially determined his hostility to Marxism and communism . Subsequently, Marceline da Mata consciously became a staunch anti-communist . He considered the PAIGC war against Portugal not the struggle for independence, but the execution of the plan for the capture of Africa by the Soviet Union ^[1] .

On April 25, 1974, the Portuguese Carnation Revolution overthrew the right-wing authoritarian regime of the New State . The revolutionary authorities began the process of decolonization. Hostilities in the Portuguese colonies ceased. Marceline da Mata was sent to Lisbon and was appointed company commander in the commando regiment.

In Portugal, Marcelino da Mata was known not only for his role in the war, but also for his political views. The new authorities perceived him as an implacable political adversary. For his part, yes, Mata considered their policy treacherous. First of all, he could not forgive the deaths of several thousand Guineans executed by PAIGC after coming to power. Among the dead, emphasized da Mata, there were soldiers who fought for Portugal and were abandoned by the revolution to their fate ^[3] . Among other things, he was offended by the fact that he was perceived as a “ retornacus ” or “foreign mercenary of the Salazarov’s regime”, that he had to ask for Portuguese citizenship ^[4] .

On March 11, 1975, right-wing soldiers led by Spinola attempted an armed rebellion . The performance was suppressed. Marceline da Mata had nothing to do with him, but his military-political reputation predetermined his arrest. Commando Commander Jaime Nevish — personally sympathetic to Mate — informed him of the need to report to Caxias Prison. Marcelino da Mata spent two months in a prison cell.

On May 18, Marcelino da Mata was released. However, on May 19, he was again arrested and taken to the location of the 1st artillery regiment, which was under the influence of the Portuguese Communist Party . He was suspected of involvement in the far-right terrorist organization Liberation Army of Portugal . The interrogation of da Mata was conducted by Captain Ribeira di Fonseca, Captain Manuel Quinones, Lt. Col. Lial di Almeida (a recent Guinean colleague) and Lieutenant Commander Juan di Costa Javier, known for their ultra-left and radical communist positions. They subjected Da Mat to the most severe tortures and beatings, used electric current and iron rods. It was especially noted that these "anti-fascists" insulted the African with racist nicknames. The perfect with Marceline da Mata is seen as a cruel and shameful episode compromising the Carnations Revolution ^[4] . Marceline da Mata publicly promised revenge on his torturers. Since then, he has not been able to find them in Portugal ^[5] .

Five months Marceline da Mata again spent in the prison of Caxias. He was released on October 15 with the prospect of deportation to Guinea-Bissau , where he was clearly awaiting execution. On the same day, da Mata secretly escaped from the house (down the rope from the second floor), got to Benfica by taxi, borrowed money from a friend, went to Coimbra and from there through the border to Spain ^[4] .

In exile, Marcelino da Mata lived in Madrid, worked as a truck driver, was engaged in the delivery of Coca-Cola. He contacted right-wing emigre circles, including Alpoin Calvan, but did not directly participate in the activities of the Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Portugal ^[5] .

On November 25, 1975 , a decisive military-political clash occurred in Portugal. Right-wing forces and socialists defeated the bloc of communists and ultra-left. The political situation in the country has radically changed. After that, Marcelino da Mata was able to return to Portugal.

The case of unlawful arrest and torture of Marcelin da Mato in May 1975 was examined by a special commission. However, her materials were not made public, since the left-wing political forces and the revolution as a whole were greatly compromised ^[4] . Interrogation and torture participants were not held accountable.

Marcelino da Mata continued his military service in the Lisbon commando regiment. Dismissed to the reserve in 1980 . Due to late citizenship, he was assigned a lower military pension. He worked as a security guard in schools and shops.

To provide for a large family, in 1993 Marceline da Mata enlisted as an instructor in the Angolan army , which waged a civil war against the UNITA rebel movement. He planned and carried out successful military operations. However, the Angolan command was forced to terminate the contract with da Mata after relations with him became public. The problem was that the MPLA ruling in Angola during the years of the colonial war was an ally of PAIGC, and the use of da Mata's services looked unprincipled ^[1] .

In 1995, Marcelino da Mata received the rank of retired lieutenant colonel of the Portuguese army. Consists of a veteran organization of Portuguese commandos, actively participates in its activities. It is called the " black knight of the Portuguese Empire " ^[4] . He publicly regrets that new generations of the Portuguese do not remember the heroic pages of military history, are not interested in politics, and do not care about national development.

Marceline da Mata is married for the third time, has 14 children. His first and second wives, brother and sister, were killed during the war by PAIGK militants ^[5] . Family members da Mata were persecuted in Guinea-Bissau during the entire period of the reign of Luis Cabral , but after his removal from power, the persecution ceased. However, Marcelino da Mata himself is not able to visit the country. Twice - in 1976 and 1985 - he illegally made his way to Guinea-Bissau and met with his mother Marcelina Vaz da Mata.

He lives with his family in Sintra . He is friends with Cristiano Ronaldo ^[6] .