In 1975 the social unrest in Portugal led to a coup in Lisbon, and the new government decided to withdraw from Africa. Portuguese military authorities in Angola, led by Admiral 'Rosa' Coutino, elected to cooperate with the people's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a Marxist movement under the leadership of Agostinho Neto. The United Nations (UN) charter called for free elections, but the MPLA refused to allow the voting, because it believed it could not win the plurality needed to govern. Despite this intransigence, Portugal cut its losses in Angola and handed over the reins of government to the MPLA.
