Portugal’s government rejects paying reparations for colonial, slavery legacy

Lisbon, PortugalReuters Portugal’s government said on Saturday it refuses to initiate any process to pay reparations for atrocities committed during transatlantic slavery and the colonial era, contrary to earlier comments from President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. From the 15th to the 19th century, six million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported across the Atlantic by Portuguese vessels and sold into slavery, primarily in Brazil. Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa addresses the nation from Belem Palace to announce his decision to dissolve parliament triggering snap general elections on 10th March, after Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned due to an ongoing investigation on the alleged corruption in multi-billion dollar lithium, green hydrogen and data centre deals, in Lisbon, Portugal, on 9th November, 2023. PICTURE: Reuters/Pedro Nunes/File photo Rebelo de Sousa had said on Saturday Portugal could use several methods to pay reparations, such as cancelling the debt of former colonies and providing financing. The government said in a statement sent to the Portuguese news agency Lusa it wants to “deepen mutual relations, respect for historical truth and increasingly intense and close cooperation, based on the reconciliation of brotherly peoples”. But it added it had “no process or program of specific actions”...