At an event, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that Portugal “takes full responsibility” for the mistakes of the past and remembers that these crimes, including colonial massacres, had costs.
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▲Over more than four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and sold into slavery
TIAGO PETINGA/LUSA
▲Over more than four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and sold into slavery
TIAGO PETINGA/LUSA
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The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, recognized Portugal’s responsibilities for crimes committed during the colonial era, suggesting the payment of reparations for past mistakes.
We have to pay the costs. Are there actions that were not punished and those responsible were not arrested? Are there assets that were looted and not returned? Let’s see how we can fix this”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, quoted by the Reuters agency.
The President of the Republic spoke, on Tuesday, during a dinner with foreign correspondents in Portugal. At the event, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that Portugal “takes full responsibility” for past mistakes and remembers that these crimes, including colonial massacres, had costs.
A year ago, in the welcoming session for Brazilian President Lula da Silva, which preceded the solemn session commemorating the 49th anniversary of the 25th of April in the Assembly of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa argued that Portugal owed an apology, but above all, he had to take full responsibility for exploitation and slavery in the colonial period.
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“It’s not just apologizing — properly, without a doubt — for what we did, because apologizing is sometimes the easiest thing to do, you apologize, turn your back, and the job is done. No, is taking responsibility for the future of what we did, good and bad, in the past“, he defended.
For more than four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, Forcibly transported long distances by mostly European ships and merchants and sold into slavery.
In the same meeting with foreign correspondents, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa once again said that he believes that former Prime Minister António Costa will be the next President of the European Council.
“I think so”, he said, quoted by the EFE agency, when asked about his opinion regarding the hypotheses