Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Portugal unveiled a plaque in Campo do Tarrafal

The Presidents of Portugal, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau and the Minister of Defense of Angola unveiled at 11:20 am (1:20 pm in Lisbon) a plaque marking the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Campo do Tarrafal.

The moment marked the start of the central ceremonies that, this Wednesday, take place on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde, and which unite four countries oppressed by the violence of the Portuguese colonial dictatorship.

This is followed by a special session with the heads of state and a conference on the concentration camp by historian Victor Barros.

Luís Fonseca, former Cape Verdean ambassador, executive secretary of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) between 2004 and 2008, will speak as spokesman for political prisoners.

In the afternoon, the Presidents take a guided tour of the countryside and the day’s celebrations end with a concert with Mário Lúcio (Cape Verde), Teresa Salgueiro (Portugal), Paulo Flores (Angola) and Karyna Gomes (Guinea Bissau), with free entry .

Remember the 36 dead in Tarrafal

A total of 36 people died in the camp, the majority, 32 dead, of Portuguese nationality, who challenged the fascist regime. They were arrested in the first phase of the camp, between 1936 and 1956.

The prison reopened in 1962 under the name Camp de Trabalho de Chão Bom, intended to incarcerate anti-colonialists from Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde — when two Angolans and two Guineans died.

The release of those who opposed the Estado Novo happened a few days after the fascist regime was overthrown with the revolution of April 25, 1974 in Portugal.