Vasco Estrela, 52 years old, Mayor of Mação City Council
Mayors of Mação spoke at the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April, putting their finger on the wound in some aspects, such as the lack of response from public services and the inequalities that still exist.
Vasco Estrela, Saldanha Rocha, Cláudia Cordeiro and José António Almeida spoke at the solemn session of the Mação Municipal Assembly, leaving messages of resilience, hope and reflection on the date that they unanimously consider the most important in the country’s history: the 25th of April. However, they also put their finger on the wound regarding some gaps that they consider still exist.
Cláudia Cordeiro was the first to use the word: “power is only ours as long as it belongs to us. Power can blind us, prevent us from seeing beyond our eyes and isolate us in a dome. Today we can live in freedom thanks to the act of courage, bravery and faith of the heroes of April who stood at the head of a 48-year dictatorship”, she praised. José António Almeida, director of the Mação School Group, considers the date to be the most important in “modern Portugal”, adding that no other event marked the country in such a visible and comprehensive way. “April belongs to the Portuguese, it does not belong to any ideology or any specific party. We all have an obligation to take care of him and continue to work for the right to freedom”, he concluded.
The president of the municipal assembly, Saldanha Rocha, began by remembering the bravery of those who, 50 years ago, had the courage to chart new paths. Saldanha Rocha stated that after April 25, 1974, the responsibility and duty to evolve must be a constant in society, remembering that all time is a struggle. “There are shadows that we must reject and gestures that we must return so that the sun that brought us light does not darken. We must have respect for freedom and for this day”, he stressed. For the president of the municipality, Vasco Estrela, more than honoring and thanking everyone who celebrated the 25th of April, it is essential to continue honoring the dreams of the people who fought for freedom and democracy. “We must keep alive the dream of those who believed that each and every one should be free. Without this dream that made April possible none of us would live this day, nor would we be so happy”, he said, adding: “we have to understand that nothing is absolutely perfect and that the will of the people must be respected. We cannot fall into sellers of illusions who say what they like to hear or populism”, he stated, concluding that “we cannot live in a country that is increasingly less cohesive, with unequal levels of development, with public services that do not work, a country where citizens spend hours at the health center to be seen by a doctor and with the drama of accessing housing”.
