LISBON: President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has acknowledged that Portugal bears responsibility for crimes committed during transatlantic slavery and the colonial era, hinted there was need for compensation.
Over four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were abducted, forcibly transported across long distances by primarily European ships and merchants, and sold into slavery. Those who survived endured labor on plantations in the Americas, predominantly in Brazil and the Caribbean, while others profited from their exploitation.
Portugal alone trafficked nearly 6 million Africans, more than any other European nation, yet it has failed to fully address its past, with limited education about its role in transatlantic slavery in schools.
Portugal’s colonial era, during which countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, and parts of India were under Portuguese rule is often perceived as a source of pride.
Speaking at an event with foreign correspondents, Rebelo de Sousa declared that Portugal “accepts full responsibility” for historical wrongs, including colonial massacres, emphasizing that these actions had significant “costs”.
He stated, “We must bear these costs. Were there actions that went unpunished, where those responsible were not held accountable? Were there looted goods that were never returned? We need to consider how to rectify this.”
The global momentum for reparations or other forms of restitution for transatlantic slavery has been growing, with calls for the establishment of a special tribunal on the matter. Activists emphasized that reparations and public policies to address the inequalities stemming from Portugal’s history, including systemic racism, are imperative.
While Rebelo de Sousa previously suggested Portugal should apologize for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, he now asserts that acknowledging and taking responsibility for the past hold greater significance than mere apologies. “Apologizing is the easy part,” he remarked.
