In a significant declaration, President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa admitted Portugal’s responsibility for the atrocities committed during transatlantic slavery and the colonial era, hinting at the necessity for reparations.
Over four centuries, an estimated 12.5 million Africans endured the horrors of kidnapping, grueling sea voyages aboard European vessels, and the brutalities of enslavement. Survivors were coerced into labor on plantations primarily in Brazil and the Caribbean, while others reaped profits from their exploitation.
Portugal, having trafficked nearly 6 million Africans, surpassing other European nations in this illicit trade, has yet to fully reckon with its historical transgressions. Education curricula often hides the country’s role in transatlantic slavery, instead glorifying its colonial past, which spanned territories such as Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, and parts of India.
Addressing foreign correspondents, President Rebelo de Sousa asserted Portugal’s acceptance of full responsibility for past wrongs, including colonial massacres, acknowledging their associated costs. He stressed the need of rectifying these injustices, questioning whether unpunished actions and unreturned looted goods remain unresolved.
The global momentum towards reparations for transatlantic slavery gains traction, with calls for establishing specialized tribunals to address this issue. Activists emphasize the necessity of reparations and policy initiatives to combat systemic racism and inequalities stemming from Portugal’s historical legacy.
While Rebelo de Sousa previously advocated for Portugal to apologize for its involvement in transatlantic slavery and colonialism, he stated on Tuesday that acknowledging and assuming responsibility for the past outweigh mere apologies.
In his words, “Apologizing is the easy part.
