José Álvaro Machado Pacheco Pereira, GCL (born 6 January 1949 in Porto) is a Portuguese political commentator, historian and politician.

He was born to parents Álvaro Gonçalo de Lima Pacheco Pereira (born 4 August 1921 in Porto, Bonfim), related to the Lords of Aveloso by bastard line, and Maria Celina Machado (5 July 1921 in Porto – 1997).

[citation needed] He was a member of the Communist Party of Portugal (Marxist-Leninist) prior to the 25 April 1974 revolution.

[2] He is a regular columnist in the written press (Público newspaper and Sábado magazine) and television pundit (SIC Notícias news channel).

He married in Porto on 7 November 1975 Isabel Maria de Seabra Correia Soares, born at São Vicente de Pereira Jusã, Ovar, on 11 September 1949, daughter of Manuel Correia Soares and wife Maria Ludovina Correia de Seabra, and has one son, José Gonçalo Soares Pacheco Pereira, born in Porto in 1985.