Augusto Cancela de Abreu
Augusto Cancela de Abreu GCC GOMI (14 August 1895 – 6 April 1965) was a Portuguese businessman and politician.
Biography
Augusto Cancela de Abreu was born in Anadia, Aveiro District. Abreu studied civil engineering at the Higher Technical Institute (IST) in Lisbon and then worked as deputy director and later director of the Linha de Cascais, the railway line between Lisbon and Cascais operated by the Sociedade de Estoril. He was then administrative director of the railway company of Beira Alta and administrative director of the National Company of Spinning and Weaving Mills of Torres Novas. He joined the National Union (UN) founded on 30 July 1930, the unified party of the Portuguese Estado Novo initiated by António de Oliveira Salazar, and was at times spokesman for its Lisbon district association. Between 1932 and 1934, he was chief of staff at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Industry respectively.
In 1935, Abreu was elected as a member of the National Assembly for the first time and was a member in the first and second legislative periods until 1942. On 6 September 1944, he was appointed Minister of Public Works and Communications by Prime Minister Oliveira Salazar and held this post until 4 February 1947. In the following government, he held the post of Minister of the Interior between 4 February 1947 and 2 August 1950. In 1953, he once again became a member of the National Assembly and represented the Santarém constituency until 1957. During this sixth legislative period, he was vice-chairman of the Economic Committee.
After leaving parliament, Abreu was President of the Executive Commission of the National Union between 1957 and 1961. He was also a temporary legal advisor to the Câmara Corporativa, the lower house of the Assembleia Nacional, and a member of the Council of State.
Abreu was decorated several times and received, among other things, the dignity of Commander of the Military Order of Christ on 5 October 1934, Commander of the Order of Entrepreneurial Merit on 6 July 1935 and the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ on 13 April 1949.
