Santos Silva presided over the 50th anniversary ceremony of the 25th of April in Cabeceiras de Basto

The 50th Anniversary of the 25th of April was marked this morning in Cabeceiras de Basto with the
of the Solemn Session of the Municipal Assembly, the “highlight” of the commemorative program, a ceremony presided over by Augusto Santos Silva, former president of the Assembly of the Republic.

In a statement, the municipality states that after raising the national flag, with a guard of honor from the Cabeceirenses Volunteer Firefighters, the municipal executive led by mayor Francisco Alves, the president of the Municipal Assembly, as well as representatives of political parties and movements with seats in the same Assembly, presidents of parish councils, members of the Honor and Executive Committees for the Celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of April 25, 1974 and their representatives, among other civil and military entities from the municipality and district, also participated in the Solemn Session that took place in the Sessions Room of the Municipal Assembly.

Augusto Santos Silva, invited by the Organizing Committee for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the 25th of April to preside over the solemn session commemorating the anniversary, thanking him for the invitation, began by highlighting that “celebrating the 25th of April is celebrating our Common Home ”.

Sharing with those present the most relevant historical events of the April 1974 Revolution, Augusto Santos Silva – who declared himself “a friend of Cabeceiras de Basto” – said that today “we breathe the air of freedom”.

In his intervention, he explained what democracy means for him: a “space of freedom that each person has”, “common political rules”, “the return to the condition of Europeans” and “citizenship”.

These were the four axes addressed by the former ruler during the solemn session, where he also stated and praised “democratic local power” as “one of the great achievements of the 25th of April”. And he added: “The common house of local power is one of the most beautiful and solid” in Portugal.

In his intervention, the Mayor of the City Council thanked Augusto Santos Silva for attending the Solemn Session of the 25th of April, stating that it was “an honor to celebrate April in the presence of an illustrious citizen who throughout his life gave so much of himself to the country and to the public cause, as a political leader, deputy, minister and as president of the Portuguese parliament”, this presidency is “marked by its stance of impartiality”, not allowing “hate speech in parliament”.

Francisco Alves said that “celebrating April will have to be an opportunity to denounce populist and xenophobic movements, with which democracy itself coexists and to which it grants space and freedom to defend its causes” and that “we cannot ignore that these movements are growing in the country, in Europe and in the world”, people who “will not have any hesitation in calling into question the rights, freedoms and guarantees that the 25th of April provided us”.

Listing statistical data revealing the country’s development in the most diverse sectors of activity, the president of the City Council highlighted that the “social state provided the Portuguese with universal access to education, health, culture”, as well as “equality of opportunities”.

Francisco Alves guaranteed that “the institution of local power” was “responsible for the transformation of territories from north to south, including the autonomous regions”. And he continued: “We are good and among the best in the world in many areas of human activity and knowledge. Let us be proud of the path we have taken.”

The mayor also paid tribute to the captains and soldiers of Abril and their families, to the Portuguese people and to the men and women who embraced the public cause.

Declaring that “the country has changed radically for the better”, Francisco Alves challenged everyone to make their contribution so that we can continue “improving and developing the country, the region and the municipality”.

In his words, the president of the Municipal Assembly also began by “thanking Augusto Santos Silva for his presence on this very important date that celebrates one of the highest moments in the life and history of the Portuguese people and Portugal”, he said, distinguishing “he is a democrat and an academic and political reference” and “has raised, in a clear, frontal and firm way, his voice against demagoguery, populism and injustice”.

Referring to April 25th as a “historic date, important for Portugal and significant for Europe”, Joaquim Barreto highlighted: “We want these celebrations to strengthen aspirations for a better future than the present”.

Giving an account of several indicators revealing the reality before the 25th of April, Joaquim Barreto said that “talking about the 25th of April implies talking about democratic local power” and the “most relevant achievements of these years of freedom, democracy and development”.

And he clarified: “This celebration of the Municipality of Cabeceiras de Basto is clear proof that the mayors – with their commitment and their daily work, in their villages, parishes, towns and cities in this country – promote development and make it happen April, creating well-being for the populations” they represent. “Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for the municipality of Cabeceiras de Basto”, he said.

As for the “new era”, he declared “serious, responsible, consistent and consistent dialogue between all democratic forces is indispensable”.

“There are generations who have never lived without freedom and who view it with some levity and who always take it for granted”, recalled the president of the Municipal Assembly, reaffirming that “for today’s young people, celebrating April must be the guarantee that they will not lack arms to fight for the fulfillment of their ‘project’, (…) for access to decent, stable and fairly remunerated work, for the end of precarious employment, for the right to youth and free time”.

Assuring that “governing is a difficult exercise”, Joaquim Barreto underlined that “it is in our hands to continue April, defending, perfecting and reinforcing democracy”. And he concluded: “The 25th of April is not the past. The spirit of April remains valid and we need to ‘water the carnations’, nurture Freedom, be bold and do things capable of building the future that the 25th of April opened for us. (…) Spread April and be April in your daily lives.”

Representing the PS Municipal Bench, Domingos Machado explained that “democracy is the attempt to achieve a fairer society” and that in Portugal “we continue to build the future”. 50 years after the Carnation Revolution, Domingos Machado noted that “this history that runs through our veins cannot disappear” and that “there are unmissable freedoms and civic guarantees”. “We are what we are without forgetting what we can be”, he highlighted, ensuring that, half a century later, “we are still here and have not given up”.

Representing the PPD/PSD-CDS-PP Municipal Bench, Manuel Sá Nogueira, recalled the 25th of April in the words of the poet Sophia de Mello Breyner: “This is the dawn that I expected, the initial day whole and clean, where we emerged from the night and silence and free we inhabit the substance of time”. And he concluded: “April 25 always, fascism never again”.

Representing the IPC Municipal Group, Marco Gomes highlighted the importance of the value of “equality”, stating that “freedom is a commitment to the future”.

Pointing the finger at those responsible for “poorly distributed income”, Marco Gomes said that “thinking global is thinking local”, invoking the “desire to have a personal and collective future”.

The president of the Parish Council of Riodouro, Norberto Pires, began by remembering the military of April, recognizing the “valiance of those who made the revolution”.

Regretting that “parishes are the poor relation of local democracy”, Norberto Pires appealed to government officials for “greater independence” of parishes, particularly in terms of financial support from the State, ensuring that “every day we (mayors) work in a dedicated to finding the best answers and solutions for the population.” And he concluded: “We are an open door.”

During the ceremony, at the entrance to the Paços do Concelho building, a plaque was also unveiled commemorating Augusto Santos Silva’s visit to Cabeceiras de Basto, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April.

The program for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the 25th of April runs until the end of the year, and is also marked by gatherings, book presentations, tree planting, concerts, April talks, soirees, mural painting, among others. actions that aim to “mark April in Cabeceirense territory”.