Agostinho Lourenço

Agostinho Lourenço da Conceição Pereira (September 5, 1886 – August 2, 1964) was a Portuguese soldier best known for founding and running the Portuguese Political Police under the Estado Novo.

Agostinho Lourenço fought on World War I on the British side. After the war, he acted briefly as Governor of Leiria. He was made Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for services to Edward VIII, at the time Prince of Wales, when the Prince visited Lisbon in 1931.

In 1933, in the early days of the Salazar regime, Agostinho Lourenço founded the PVDE, Portugal's security and immigration police. According to Professor Douglas Wheeler "an analysis of Lourenco's career suggest strongly that British Intelligence Services' influence had an impact on the structure and activity of PVDE". Lourcenço had earned a reputation with British observers, recorded in a confidential print generated at the British embassy, which suggested a "pro-British" bias on his part.

Agostinho Lourenço always kept a good relationship with the MI6 which allowed him to later in 1956 became the President of Interpol. Agostinho Lourenço acted as head of Interpol for five years after 1956.