Portugal has to “pay the costs” of slavery and colonial crimes, says president

Portugal trafficked almost 6 million Africans, more than any other European nation

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Tuesday that Portugal was responsible for crimes committed during transatlantic slavery and the colonial era, and suggested the need for reparations.

Over more than four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported long distances, mainly by European ships and traders, and sold into slavery.

Those who survived the journey ended up working on plantations in the Americas, mainly in Brazil and the Caribbean, while others profited from their labor.

Portugal trafficked almost 6 million Africans, more than any other European nation, but has so far failed to confront its past and little is taught about its role in transatlantic slavery in schools.

Instead, Portugal’s colonial era, during which countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde and East Timor, as well as parts of India, were subjected to Portuguese rule, is often seen as a source of pride.

Speaking at an event with foreign correspondents on Tuesday night, Rebelo de Sousa said Portugal “takes full responsibility” for past mistakes and that these crimes, including colonial massacres, had “costs”.

“We have to pay the costs,” he said. “Are there actions that were not punished and those responsible were not arrested? Are there assets that were looted and were not returned? Let’s see how we can repair this.”

The idea of ​​paying reparations or taking other action for transatlantic slavery has been gaining traction around the world, including efforts to establish a special tribunal on the issue.

Activists say reparations and public policies to combat inequalities caused by Portugal’s past, including systemic racism, are essential.

Rebelo de Sousa said last year that Portugal should apologize for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, but stopped short of offering a full apology. He declared on Tuesday that acknowledging the past and taking responsibility for it was more important than apologizing.

“Apologizing is the easy part,” he said.