Jorge Carapinha

Jorge Tomás Godinho Carapinha (born September 13, 1925 , † November 3, 1981 in Comarca prison , Balide , East Timor ), fighting name Mau-Lelo Portuguese postal worker and East Timorese freedom fighter.

Career

The Portuguese Carapinha worked from 1950 in the colony of Portuguese Timor in the post office in the telegraph and telephone service. He was involved in the political education of the members of the União Nacional dos Estudantes Timores (UNETIM) and campaigned for democracy and the development of an education system. When the first parties emerged in the colony after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974, Carapinha joined the Associação Social Democrática Timorense (ASDT), which was later renamed FRETILIN . He became Vice-Secretary of the Central Committee of FRETILIN (CCF).

When the civil war in East Timor broke out in August 1975 against the União Democrática Timorense (UDT), Carapinha, along with Vicente dos Reis , were captured by the UDT and taken to the Palapasu prison in Dili. When Carapinha was released, he fled to Aissirimou and rejoined the FRETILIN. The party emerged victorious from the civil war against the UDT. On November 28th, Carapinha took part in the celebrations of the proclamation of the independence of East Timor .

When Indonesia started the open invasion on December 7th , Carapinha was captured again. He was tortured and taken to the prison in the Tropical building (now the Plaza Hotel ). A few days later he was taken to Comarca Prison and tortured again. He was repeatedly interrogated in the Shan Thai Ho building (now the Western Union building ). As a result of torture and imprisonment, Carapinha died in 1981 and was initially buried in the Santa Cruz cemetery.

Honors

On December 7, 2019, the remains of Jorge Carapinha were buried in the East Timorese Heroes Cemetery in Metinaro . Carapinha is the first foreigner (even if not seen as such) to receive this honor. His son Rui Carapinha was received by East Timor's President Francisco Guterres on February 7, 2020 . In a speech Guterres even compared Carapinha to Che Guevara , as he died for a country that was not his own.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Tatoli: Família Saudoza Jorge Carapinha “Mau-Lelo” Agradese Estadu TL , February 7, 2020 , accessed on February 8, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b} RTP: Jorge Carapinha é o primeiro português homenageado no Jardim dos Heróis da luta timorense , February 7, 2020 , accessed on February 8, 2020.