José Adriano Pequito Rebelo (21 May 1892 inGavião, Portugal – 22 January 1983 inLisbon) was aPortuguese writer, politician and aviator.
Born into amonarchist family, Pequito Rebelo studied law atUniversity of Coimbra where he followed in the family's political footsteps.[1] He followed his family into exile in the early 1910s toParis and whilst there became converted to theAction Française school of monarchism.[1]
On his return to Portugal in 1914 he became a founder ofIntegralismo Lusitano along withJosé Hipólito Raposo,Alberto Monsaraz andAntónio Sardinha.[1] Uniquely amongst this leadership Pequito Rebelo enlisted in thePortuguese Expeditionary Corps during theFirst World War, whilst also writing extensively for the integralist journals, often on the theme of his hatred for urbanism.[1]
Pequito Rebelo was involved in themonarchist uprising of 1919 and suffered serious wounds in the fighting. However, when brought to trial for his involvement he was surprisingly exonerated.[1]
Pequito Rebelo's ideas appeared to radicalise with age as he came under the influence ofGeorges Valois and took to writing for thesyndicalist paperPolitico.[1] He looked set for a switch to theNational Syndicalists but again changed his mind and became a loyalist forAntónio de Oliveira Salazar.[1] The two enjoyed a fairly cordial personal relationship and in 1932 Pequito Rebelo advised Salazar to abandon the Portuguese constitution and establish a new order in the country.[2] They remained in regular correspondence throughout the 1930s.[3]
Left somewhat restless by his support for the government Pequito Rebelo volunteered as an aviator in theSpanish Civil War on the side ofFrancisco Franco.[1] In later years he became a leading advocate ofcolonialism and in 1961, despite his age, volunteered for pilot duties against pro-independence guerrillas inPortuguese Angola.[1]
He continued writing until his death in 1983.[citation needed]
