Carlos Eduardo Mendes

Carlos joined the Army at 18 because he believed in service and because university wasn't an option financially. Thirty years later, he's a Major with two missions abroad (Kosovo, Afghanistan) and a desk job he didn't imagine when he was young and idealistic.

He's watched the Portuguese military shrink—underfunded, under-equipped, struggling to recruit. Young people don't want to serve; the pay is poor, the prestige is gone. NATO allies pressure Portugal on the 2% spending target, but governments find excuses.

Carlos isn't political—the military tradition is neutrality—but he votes like any citizen. He respects order, hierarchy, competence. He's wary of Ventura's bluster (military people distrust performance over substance) but attracted to Gouveia e Melo, who proved what competent leadership looks like.

His sons face the same choice he did. The older one wants to study engineering—Carlos will sacrifice to make that possible. The younger is considering military, and Carlos isn't sure whether to encourage or discourage him.