Catarina Eufémia

Catarina Efigénia Sabino Eufémia (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐtɐˈɾinɐ ewˈfɛmiɐ]; February 13, 1928 – May 19, 1954) was an illiterate harvester from Alentejo, Portugal, who was murdered during a worker's strike by lieutenant Carrajola of the Guarda Nacional Republicana in Monte do Olival, Baleizão, in Beja, Alentejo. Catarina had three children, one eight months old, who was with her when she was shot.

The historic tragedy of Catarina came to personify the resistance movement against the regime of Salazar. She was adopted as an icon by the Portuguese Communist Party in Alentejo. Poets Sophia de Mello Breyner, Carlos Aboim Inglez, Eduardo Valente da Fonseca, Francisco Miguel Duarte, José Carlos Ary dos Santos, Maria Luísa Vilão Palma and António Vicente Campinas have all dedicated poems to her. António Vicente Campinas' "Cantar Alentejano" was put to music by Zeca Afonso on the album "Cantigas de Maio", made on Christmas 1971. (Hear part of the song here.)