This Friday, Chega questioned the government regarding the funding of 34 million euros for the restoration and equipment of the fortress of São Francisco do Penedo in Angola, considering it “an insult to the history of Portugal.”
In a request addressed to the prime minister through parliament, the Chega parliamentary group asks “what is the motivation of the Portuguese government to undertake the costs of creating a museum whose name is associated with the struggle for independence against Portugal.”
A memorandum of understanding was signed in Luanda on December 10 between the governments of Portugal and Angola. The São Francisco do Penedo fortress will be transformed into the Museum of National Liberation of Angola.
According to Chegi, this financial support represents “an insult to the history of Portugal and the memory of its ancestors, as well as the history of foreign combatants who, this Friday, were still treated so poorly for actions taken in defense of national interests.”
The party led by Andre Ventura also accuses the government of wanting to rewrite History.
In a document published this Friday, Chegi deputies believe that this political choice is contrary to history, “leaving it at the mercy of partial historical revisionism in the media, which is in vogue, but which is far from worthy of unanimity, much less be scientifically correct. “
“By this gesture, in addition to spending funds which, within the framework of the activities of the Camões Institute, would better serve other purposes more convenient for the interests of our country, Portugal indirectly takes upon itself the blame for the efforts of foreign colonization, which, as a result, opened up “new worlds for peace”, which all of us Portuguese should be proud of, since they are written in the books of our history and in our collective memory as the best thing we have undertaken and given to the history of mankind,” they assert.
Chega believes that it is “something that cannot be erased and that should be a matter of preservation and pride for the highest dignitaries of those who are the rightful heirs of this heritage and are responsible, first and foremost, for its protection.”
“If we had rulers in Portugal today equal to those of the five hundred, such nonsense could be avoided,” he adds.
The Chegi parliamentary group also points out that this decision is “absurd and inconsistent” and “an attempt to manipulate History and politically instrumentalize it, thereby seeking to ensure that the government diverts attention from the problems of the country.”
During the signing of the memorandum of understanding, Foreign Minister João Gomes Cravinho stressed the “special importance” of turning the fortress into the Museum of National Liberation.
“This comes just before the start of the year in which the 50th anniversary is celebrated on April 25, and a year before the start of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Angolan independence,” Cravinho said, stressing that it is important to remember that Portuguese freedom has a lot to do with the struggle for the colonial liberation of people in several African countries colonized by Portugal at the time.
“There is a symbiotic relationship here because this struggle for freedom, for the independence of the African people, including the Angolan people, is a very important impetus for the freedom struggle in Portugal,” a government official said at the time.
According to João Gomes Craviño, this support is precisely a celebration of what is a common heritage, namely the freedom of states.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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