Colonial "ill-treatment and violence" "not resolved"
The President of São Tomé and Príncipe stated that the acts of mistreatment and violence of colonization have not been resolved and considered it relevant that Portugal has addressed the issue, in relation to the 50th anniversary of April 25th.
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Mundo Presidente são-tomense
"If Portugal brings this issue to the everyday, I think it is entirely relevant to be discussed and that these aspects are also reviewed and we continue to get closer and closer [...] this will be in a transparent and clear way, we look at everything that was beneficial or that harmed other countries, we analyze, we draw conclusions and resolve the situation", said Carlos Vila Nova.
The head of the São Tomé state, who was speaking at the São Tomé airport, after having participated, in Portugal, in the 50th anniversary celebrations of April 25, stressed that "Portugal colonized five countries in Africa" and that this colonization is part of the history of these countries.
"Decolonization may be resolved, but the acts of mistreatment, violence and others that happened are not resolved, therefore I see this [the statements of the President of Portugal] as normal, even because at the level of other colonizing powers this process is already somewhat advanced, it is already under discussion", said Carlos Vila Nova.
The Portuguese President of the Republic defended on Saturday that Portugal should lead the process of assuming and repairing the consequences of the period of colonialism and suggested as an example debt forgiveness, cooperation and financing.
"I have always thought that apologizing is an easy solution to the problem. I apologize... it is never mentioned again. Responsibility is assumed for what was good and bad in the empire. Assuming means, in fact, that", said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to journalists, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom, in Peniche.
The suggestion that Portugal should assume responsibility for crimes committed during the colonial era had been left by the head of state during a dinner on Tuesday with foreign correspondents in Portugal, in which the President proposed the payment of reparations for past mistakes.
Asked to clarify the statements made at the time, the President of the Republic stressed that, throughout his presidency, he has defended that Portugal must "lead the process" in dialogue with these countries.
"We cannot put this under the rug or in the drawer. We have an obligation to pilot, to lead this process, because if we do not lead it, assuming it, what will happen is what happened with countries that, having been colonial powers, after x years 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 debt forgiveness, cooperation, the granting of lines of credit and financing that, he said, have been established.
Questioned by journalists, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa defended 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, in order to return them later.
"It is an issue that has to be dealt with by the new Government, in respect of the executive functions of the Government and it has to be dealt with in contact with these states", he said.
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