In a statement, Chega considers that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's words represent "a betrayal of the Portuguese people and their History".

After suggesting, last Tuesday, at a dinner with foreign journalists, that Portugal should assume responsibility for crimes committed during the colonial era, proposing the payment of reparations for past mistakes, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa returned to the subject on Saturday.

On the sidelines of the inauguration of the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom, in Peniche, he defended that Portugal should lead the process of assuming and repairing the consequences of the period of colonialism, suggesting, as an example, debt forgiveness, cooperation and financing.

"I have always thought that apologising is an easy solution to the problem. I apologise... it is never mentioned again. Responsibility is assumed for what was good and bad in the empire. Assuming means, in fact, that", he said.

Asked to clarify the statements made at the dinner with foreign correspondents, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed that, throughout his presidency, he has defended that Portugal must "lead the process" in dialogue with these countries.

"We cannot sweep this under the rug or into a drawer. We have an obligation to pilot, to lead this process, because if we do not lead it, assuming it, what happened to countries that, having been colonial powers, after x years lost the capacity for dialogue and understanding with the former colonies will happen", he warned.

After the President's statements, the Government stated, in a communiqué, that "no process or specific programme of actions with the purpose" of reparation for the Portuguese colonial past was and is not in question and defended that it will be guided "by the same line" as previous executives.

"Regarding the issue of reparation to these States and their peoples for the colonial past of the Portuguese State, it is important to emphasise that the current Government is guided by the same line as previous Governments. No process or specific programme of actions with this purpose was and is not in question", says the executive, in a communiqué from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

In the note released today, Chega says that, despite the Government's note, it will still call the Minister of Foreign Affairs to parliament "to understand if there are any contacts on this matter with the Lusophone States or any specific request addressed to the Portuguese State".

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