Type Order | Status Currently constituted | |
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Awarded for Distinguished and important services rendered to the cause of democracy and freedom. Grades Grand CollarGrand CrossGrand OfficerCommanderOfficerKnight | ||
The Order of Liberty, or Freedom, (Portuguese: Ordem da Liberdade) is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human dignity. The order was created in 1976, after the Carnation Revolution of 1974 in which the fascist authoritarian Estado Novo regime of António de Oliveira Salazar and Marcello Caetano was deposed . The Grand Collar can also be given by the President of Portugal to former Heads of State and others whose deeds are of an extraordinary nature and particular relevance to Portugal, making them worthy of such a distinction.
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Grades
The order includes five classes; in decreasing order of seniority, these are:
Like the other Portuguese orders, the title of Honorary Member (Membro Honorário—MHL) can be awarded to institutions and locals.