The 90 Seconds of Science program broadcast, on February 25, 2026, an interview with Bruno Madeira, a researcher at Lab2PT/IN2PAST and Professor in the Department of History at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Minho, about the AgitProp project, an initiative that aims to analyze the transformations that occurred before and after April 25th.

 

This project focuses primarily on the post-independence period, with one of its levels of analysis being the processes of social, political, and economic transformations that occurred in Minho, particularly in the districts of Braga and Viana do Castelo.

The idea is to examine a period between 1961 and 1991 to understand how these transformations unfolded in this region which, despite not having experienced events such as the occupation of buildings and agricultural land, saw in the revolution the opportunity to provide its populations with basic infrastructure for existence, such as access to drinking water, electrification of homes, and the construction of schools, health centers, swimming pools, and community spaces.

The post-April 25th period brought a new dynamic to Minho that allowed for the modernization and democratization of the region, and this is one of the aspects that Bruno Madeira is studying.

This work will also analyze the post-independence period in the former Portuguese colonies that are now part of the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP), as well as Portugal’s geopolitical position during the Cold War.

The AgitProp project is titled Images and Things: Agitation and Propaganda in Times of Cold War and African Revolution – Portugal and the PALOP (1961-1991).

 

Available HERE.