May 17. () –
The Portuguese Parliament rejected this Friday by a large majority to open criminal proceedings against the Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, for treason after his statements about possible reparations to former colonies.
All parties have voted against the initiative, with the exception of the far-right party Chega, led by André Ventura, which has 50 deputies and which presented the initiative, according to the Lusa news agency.
Specifically, Chega initiated proceedings against the president for the crimes of treason, coercion against constitutional bodies and usurpation after he stated in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution that Portugal has an “obligation” to “lead” the reparation process for the former colonies under penalty of losing the “capacity for dialogue” with them.
“We cannot put this under the rug or in a drawer. We have the obligation to pilot, to lead this process. Otherwise what has happened to other countries that have been colonial powers and have lost the capacity for dialogue is going to happen to us. and understanding with the former colonies and they are invited to leave, good or bad,” he indicated during the inauguration of the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom in Peniche, north of Lisbon.
Rebelo de Sousa also highlighted that the reparation “solutions” cannot be “homogeneous”, but rather according to the circumstances and also take into account issues such as that of former combatants, “spoliated” Portuguese who “in few cases have had” reparation “.
“It is important to assume our history, our colonial empire, the good and the bad, the weight that our projection to the world has on the millions of people who speak Portuguese outside of Portugal,” highlighted the Portuguese president.
The Government clarified after their comments that “there has not been and is not in progress any process or program of specific actions with the purpose” of compensating the former Portuguese colonies. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers thus highlighted that it will follow “the same line” as the previous executives.
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