Pedro Teotónio Pereira

Pedro Teotónio Pereira (Lisbon, Mártires, 7 November 1902 – Lisbon, 14 February 1972) was a Portuguese politician and diplomat. He played a decisive role for the Allies, in drawing Spain with Portugal into a neutral peninsular bloc during World War II.

He was a son of João Teotónio Pereira, Jr. (Lisbon, 1869 - Lisbon, São Domingos de Benfica, 1948), administrator of the Companhia de Seguros Fidelidade, and wife Virgínia Hermann von Boetischer (Lisbon, Santa Engrácia, 1871 - Lisbon, 1969), paternal grandson of João Teotónio Pereira (1832–1916) and wife Clara Sobral (1840 - Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Fornos, 1910) and maternal grandson of Maximilian August Hermann von Boetischer, an engineer, linked to the installation of the telephones in Portugal, and wife Maria José da Silva. His older brother Luís Teotónio Pereira was also a politician.

Teotónio Pereira, graduated in Mathematics by the University of Lisbon. After graduation, with the aim of following his family tradition in the insurance business, he made post-graduation studies in the actuarial science in Switzerland. Due to his expertise in life insurance and actuarial science he was called by Salazar to reform the Portuguese Social Security system. At the end of World War I a new legislation on compulsory social insurance had been introduced in Portugal but due to the lack of scientific studies the outcome of this experience of the Portuguese first Republic was weak. Together with Salazar, Teotónio Pereira launched new legislation and established the foundations of the Portuguese Social Security system under the Estado Novo.

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