Azores Liberation Front (Portugal)

Frente de Libertação dos Açores

Last modified: 2014-12-12 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: azores liberation front | frente de libertação dos açores | goshawk | eagle: bald |
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• Presentation of the Azores Liberation Front
• Description and symbolism of the flag

• Azores
• Portuguese political flags
• Portugal

Presentation of the Azores Liberation Front

There's no FLA anymore and for a long time now (at least that I know of). Most of the FLA members regrouped in the PDA, Partido Democrático do Atlântico, a national party.
Jorge Candeias, 10 Aug 1999

The F.L.A. was a movement that essentially grew out of fear of a Communist takeover of the country [in 1974-1976].
José A. Afonso, 09 Aug 1999

And essentially there was the hand of the CIA behind it to protect the american interests in the Lajes airfield in island Terceira.
Jorge Candeias, 10 Aug 1999

Description and symbolism of the flag

The Frente de Libertação dos Açores has a flag that is somewhat different than the one approved for use in the region by the Portuguese Parlament. Keeping in mind that I haven't seen this flag in several years, the bird that I can recall is pictured all in gold and with the wings folded down, with the 9 stars (which represent the 9 islands) in a semi-circle below.
José A. Afonso, 09 Aug 1999, 10 Aug 1999

As far as I know, there were several variations of this flag. In some the blue was darker than in others and in some the stars where arranged as a map of the islands and not as a semi-circle.
Jorge Candeias, 10 Aug 1999

This flag is listed under number 17 at the chart Flags of Aspirant Peoples [eba94] as: «Azores islands (Azores Liberation Front) - Island district, Portugal». Vertical blue-white (1/3,2/3). A golden eagle [no white head!] with hooked wings and nine golden stars.
Ivan Sache, 15 Sep 1999

Goshwawks (Accipiter gentilis — açores, in Portuguese) are greyish with dark spots and and “coat”, and buzzards (Buteo buteo, originally mistook for goshawks thus naming the islans) is brown overall. (In Azores and Madeira, this bird is known locally as Queimado, but the “correct” name in Portuguese is Águia-de-asa-redonda.) The regional flag shows the bird in a dark golden shade. Jaume’s image, on the other hand, shows a brown bird with white head — in an not so improbable connection with the U.S. This could have two different origins:

• The flag actually depicts a bald eagle either to express the US link in FLA or by some designer's political-ornithological goof.
• The image that Jaume sent was recolored from a black and white source with a bit too much of imagination (not necessarily by Jaume).