Pedro dos Santos Soares (1915 – 1975) was a Portuguese communist activist who campaigned against the authoritarian Estado Novo government and was arrested on numerous occasions, spending about twelve years in political prisons.

On moving to the Portuguese capital Lisbon in 1932 to complete his studies, he joined the Communist Youth Federation and began to contribute articles to the anti-government press.

He was arrested again in August 1942 and held in Caxias prison, from where he made a failed attempt to escape, being sent back to Tarrafal in June 1943.

In January 1960, he was arrested again, and held at the Peniche Fortress, being one of a group of nine to escape from there that included the Communist Party leader, Álvaro Cunhal.

They were in a car on the motorway near Vila Franca de Xira, to the north of Lisbon, when it was rammed by a vehicle at high speed.