President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Tuesday that the country “takes full responsibility” for crimes committed during slavery and the colonial era. The President of the Republic also defended the need for compensation, Reuters.
Statements were made to the international press during a meeting with correspondents.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called Portugal a country responsible for the mistakes of the past, stressing that crimes such as colonial massacres have a “cost.”
“We have to pay the costs. Are there actions that were not punished and the perpetrators were not arrested? There are goods that were stolen and not returned. Let’s see how we can correct this,” he added.
About six million Africans were trafficked into the country, more than other European countries.
The President of the Republic admitted that taking responsibility for the past is a more important step than apologizing.
“The apology is the easy part,” he concluded.
The news also reports that Portugal says little about its role in transatlantic slavery in schools, but that the colonial era is equated with a source of pride.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
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