As a young captain stationed at Santarém, who drilled officers-in-training and sergeants-in-training, he was informed about the plans of the Movement of the Armed Forces (MFA) to bring down the dictatorship.

A further attempt to place the revolutionary forces under naval bombardment was defeated after an onboard mutiny (and a threat to use artillery against the ship).

Ministers fled the government quarters and retired to a barracks, where Maia's forces surrounded them and opened fire to show they were serious about their mission.

Maia eventually arranged for the Prime Minister to surrender to General Spinola, and led the imprisoned former government away to chants of "Vitória!"

In the 2000 film Capitães de Abril about the Carnation Revolution, the character of Salgueiro Maia was played by the Italian actor Stefano Accorsi.