President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa recently declared that Portugal was accountable for the atrocities perpetrated during the colonial era and throughout transatlantic slavery, and he implied that reparations were necessary.
At least 12.5 million Africans were abducted, forced to travel great distances by primarily European ships and traders, and enslaved into slavery over more than four centuries.
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Some of the survivors of the expedition made money from their labor while others were forced to work on plantations in the Americas, mostly in Brazil and the Caribbean.
More Africans were enslaved by Portugal than by any other country in Europe nearly 6 million but the country has not addressed its past, and its part in the transatlantic slave trade is not well taught in schools.
On the other hand, Portugal’s colonial past—which saw the colonization of Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, and portions of India—is frequently seen as a source of pride.
Rebelo de Sousa stated that Portugal “takes full responsibility” for the wrongs of the past and that those atrocities, including colonial killings, had “costs” during remarks made late to international reporters.
“We have to pay the costs,” he stated. “Are there actions that were not punished and those responsible were not arrested? Are there goods that were looted and not returned? Let’s see how we can repair this.”
There has been a global upsurge in the concept of making apologies for transatlantic slavery, including efforts to create a special tribunal to address the matter.
Reparations and public initiatives to combat historical injustices in Portugal, such as institutional racism, are crucial, according to activists.
Rebelo de Sousa hinted last year that Portugal needed to provide a comprehensive apology for colonialism and transatlantic slavery, but he did not go far enough. He argued that accepting accountability and owning up to the past was more significant than expressing regret. Sousa remarked, “Apologising is the easy part.”
