Former April captain Manuel Franco Charest died today at the age of 93, his wife Stela Barreto announced in a post on social media.
Retired Army Lieutenant General Manuel Ribeiro Franco Charais was born in Porto, in Cedofeite, on February 24, 1931.
Military man Franco Charet participated in the writing of the program of the Armed Forces Movement, and between 1974 and 1982 he was a member of the Coordination Commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Council, the Revolutionary Council and commanded the Central Military District.
He carried out military missions in mainland Portugal, the Azores, Madeira, Angola and Mozambique. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty, the Gold Medal for Distinguished Service with Palm and the Knighthood of the Order of Aviz.
For 14 years he developed technical cooperation projects with Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, South Tome and Principe.
A self-taught artist, he currently devotes himself entirely to the visual arts, participating with his wife in exhibitions in several Portuguese cities, as well as in Spain, Germany, Austria and France.