President of Portugal talks about guilt and ‘reparations’ for slavery in Brazil | World and Science

Marcelo Rebelo, president of PortugalAFP

Published 04/24/2024 13:00

The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo, said on Tuesday night (23), that the country “assumes full responsibility” for the crimes that occurred in the colonial era, with slavery and the genocide of indigenous populations being the biggest examples.

“We have to pay the costs. Are there actions that were not punished and those responsible were not arrested? There are goods that were stolen and were not returned”, he pointed out.

The country was the nation that most encouraged the slave trade, with around six million people enslaved in the colonial period. The period of slavery in Brazil lasted around 350 years, between 1530 and 1888, when the system was abolished.

Before that, indigenous labor was used forcibly, until several indigenous tribes were exterminated by the Portuguese.

Despite highlighting some criminal acts committed by the country in the past, the president did not specify what measures will be taken. “Let’s see how we can fix this,” he said.

Reaction

On social media, the president’s statements were heavily criticized by Portuguese political fronts. For some, the speech made Rebelo a “traitor”.

“Treason against the Fatherland. Shame. The President of the Republic is going from bad to worse and has now decided to announce an act of treason against the Fatherland! Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says that Portugal is responsible for the crimes committed during transatlantic slavery and the colonial era, and admitted that there is a need for compensation”, said António Pinto Pereira, an opposition politician.

“A President of the Republic who is ashamed of his history should never hold such a position. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa needs to be removed. I do not apologize for colonialism”, published the group Resistência Lusitana.