Government finds Marcelo’s suggestion about reparation for crimes of colonialism “toxic”

“This issue is toxic.” Caught by surprise by the statements made by the President of the Republic about how to repair the crimes of slavery and colonialism, the Government of Luis Montenegro tries to defuse the matter and an official source tells Expresso that this is what should be done “out of respect for the 25th of April”.

“We cannot let all the cooperation we have been doing with the PALOP countries be disturbed”, government sources emphasize, considering the launch of this topic “untimely” precisely when the Presidents of the Portuguese-speaking African Countries arrive in Lisbon to participate, this Thursday- fair, in celebrations of the 50th anniversary of April 25th.

They arrived at the invitation of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and it was the President of the Republic who took advantage of a conversation with foreign media correspondents in Portugal to suggest that it is time to ask how Portugal can “pay the costs” of slavery and colonialism.

It is not the first time that Marcelo considers that Portugal, as a colonizing country for centuries, particularly in Africa, should apologize for colonial crimes. He did so in 2023, precisely one year ago, in the Assembly of the Republic, during the welcoming session for Brazilian President Lula da Silva. Now, on the eve of celebrating the 25th of April again, he returns to the subject, although without specifying how it would be done.

“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”, was the sentence that the President left at the meeting. Government of Montenegro.

“None of this was articulated either with us or with the previous Government”, Executive sources confirmed to Expresso. As the subject is not new – on the contrary, the Portuguese embassy at the United Nations has drawn attention to the growing topicality of the issue, particularly in the USA – the delicacy of its implementation is highlighted by those responsible in Lisbon.

It is considered that the issue of slavery is an endless tangle – “there were slaves sold to Portugal who were already enslaved by other peoples, where does it end up?” – and we are alerted to the risk of unaffordable costs if, as happens in other countries with colonial pasts, we move towards compensation of thousands of euros for victims’ ancestors.

What is certain is that following the President’s “important and forceful” statement, Brazil’s Minister of Racial Equality has already come to ask for “concrete actions” from Portugal. “For the first time we are having a debate of this dimension at an international level”, highlighted the Brazilian minister, sister of former councilor Marielle Franco, murdered in 2018, adding that such statements are “the fruit of centuries of demands from the black population” .

The idea of ​​paying reparations for transatlantic slavery has gained importance around the world, including efforts to establish a special tribunal on the issue.

The President of the Republic considers that Portugal “takes full responsibility” for its mistakes, mistakes that had “costs” and revisited in the meeting with foreign journalists the colonial massacres, not only those of war, but others perpetrated over more than four centuries.