“I’ve always thought that apologizing is an easy solution to the problem. I’m sorry… it’s never talked about again. You take responsibility for the good and bad that happened in the empire. Coming out means, in fact, that “, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told journalists, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom, in Peniche.
Asked to clarify his recent statements on the matter, the President of the Republic highlighted that, throughout his presidency, he has argued that Portugal must “lead the process” in dialogue with these countries.
“We cannot put this under the carpet or in a drawer. We have an obligation to pilot, to lead this process, because if we do not lead it, taking responsibility, what happened to countries that, having been colonial powers, will happen after x years have lost the capacity for dialogue and understanding with the former colonies”, he warned.
To this end, Portugal must have “ways of repairing” the consequences of colonialism, exemplifying with the Debt forgiveness, cooperation, granting lines of credit and financing which, he said, have been established.
Questioned by journalists, the President of the Republic argued that the current Government should continue with the process of surveying the heritage assets of the former colonies in Portugal, initiated by the previous Government, to later return them.
“It is an issue that has to be dealt with by the new Government, in respect with the Government’s executive functions and has to be dealt with in contact with these states”, he said.
In addition to the heritage of the former colonies, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa recalled that “the problems of former combatants and those “robbed” of their assets in the former colonies and forced to return to Portugal are also “unresolved”.
Tags: put carpet Marcelo colonialism
