Rafael Barbosa

guinea-bissau, paigc, co-founder, trade union, resistance

Born Jan 01, 1926

Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

Passed Away Jan 02, 2007 Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

Lifespan 81 years old

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"Freedom begins when the working man in the city joins hands with the farmer in the forest."

Archival Overview

Co-founder and first President of the Central Committee of PAIGC who organized urban clandestine resistance in Bissau.

Biographical Record

Rafael Paula Barbosa (known underground as 'Zain Lopes') was a prominent Guinea-Bissau political leader who co-founded the PAIGC alongside Amílcar Cabral in 1956.

Working as a public works foreman, Barbosa utilized his contacts among dockworkers and laborers in Bissau to organize clandestine party cells and trade union resistance against Portuguese colonial exploitation.

Arrested in 1962 by the Portuguese secret police (PIDE), he endured years of harsh imprisonment at Tarrafal camp in Cape Verde, remaining a significant figure in early nationalist history.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Bissau Municipal Cemetery
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

                         GPS: 11.8636, -15.5977                    

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