"There is a founding date of Democracy, which is April 25, which assumes before the Portuguese people the commitment of honour to return their sovereignty and freedom, to make the Portuguese do what they understand to live their present and design their future", he began by saying.

Then, with the Revolutionary Period in Progress (PREC), "that terrible disturbance", as Ramalho Eanes called it, "there were significant threats to the initial intention of April 25, which was the democratic intention".

"November 25 reassumed this original commitment and completed April 25. Fortunately, after that date, Portuguese society freed itself from fear and realised that freedom was theirs and we had that succession of elections that were democratic and significant", stated the former head of State, arguing that "whoever wants to separate the two dates is making a historical mistake".

"Historical mistakes are never convenient, because history when presented in its entirety, allows us to return to it, to learn from it and avoid making mistakes that were made in the past", he said.

Ramalho Eanes also recalled what he felt when he was informed that the Carnation Revolution was taking place. "The news was received without surprise and with joy, with hope, but also with great concern", he said.

Joy because "for the first time in Portuguese history, sovereignty was returned to the people, with guarantees", "pleasure" because "it would certainly put an end to the colonial war that consumed so many lives and financial means" and "concern", mainly, with decolonisation.

"We had time to make an exemplary decolonisation, the truth is that politically we did not want to adopt the necessary measures and it promised to be complicated, to be complex and to have enormous costs for the African brother peoples and for the Portuguese", he said, also revealing concern because "there was no socialisation of politics, there were few parties and partisan movements, there were few leaders with operational political experience".

Ramalho Eanes also spoke about the changes brought by April 25, namely at a social level. “A community that cannot provide the minimum for everyone to live with dignity is a sick community”, he said, accusing an "unacceptable" situation of widespread poverty.

However, he showed dissatisfaction with the advances in the country's economy since then, which did not advance "as quickly" as he expected.

In the end, Ramalho Eanes also left a heartfelt appeal: "I would like to make an appeal, considering that I am an old man. I am almost 90 years old. I would like to tell the Portuguese that it is very important to look closely at April 25, to reflect on what has been achieved. But I think it is even more important to reflect on what they want the country to be. A reflection that allows them to see what is necessary for us to have a better present. Of greater inclusion and, above all, that we have a future that corresponds to the desire of the Portuguese".

"I say this not for myself, because I am an old man, nor for the men of my generation. But, above all, for the younger generations and for the generations to come, because it is up to them to ensure the continuity of the homeland", he concluded.

Read Also: After 'controversies', the Government will create a commission for November 25 (Portuguese version)

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