Chega will present next week, in the Assembly of the Republic, a formal vote condemning the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the statements he made about the reparation due for the Portuguese colonial past, the party announced.
In a statement, Chega considers that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s words represent “a betrayal of the Portuguese people and their History”.
After, last Tuesday, at a dinner with foreign journalists, the President of the Republic suggested that Portugal take responsibility for crimes committed during the colonial era, proposing the payment of reparations for past mistakes, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke again on the subject on Saturday.
On the sidelines of the inauguration of the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom, in Peniche, he argued that Portugal must lead the process of assuming and repairing the consequences of the period of colonialism, suggesting debt forgiveness, cooperation and financing as an example.
“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 “, he said.
Asked to clarify the statements made at the dinner with foreign correspondents, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa 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.
After the President’s statements, the Government stated, in a statement, that “there was and is not in question any process or program of specific actions with the purpose” of reparation for the Portuguese colonial past and argued that it will be guided “by the same line” of previous executives.
“Regarding the issue of reparation to these States and their people for the colonial past of the Portuguese State, it is important to emphasize that the current Government is guided by the same line as previous Governments. There was and is not at stake any process or program of specific actions for this purpose”, says the executive, in a statement from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
In the note released today, Chega says that, despite the Government’s note, it will, nevertheless, call the Minister of Foreign Affairs to parliament, “to understand if there is any type of contact on this matter with the Portuguese-speaking States or any specific request addressed to the Portuguese State”.
