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DISCURSO DO PRESIDENTE JOÃO LOURENÇO ■ 50 ANOS DO 25 DE ABRIL
SPEECH BY PRESIDENT JOÃO LOURENÇO ■ 50 YEARS OF APRIL 25
Event by: MPLA - Pensamento & Acção Coordenada
Location: Santa Justa Lift, Rua de Santa Justa, Lisboa
Talks & discussions
About event
SPEECH BY PRESIDENT JOÃO LOURENÇO
■ 50 YEARS OF APRIL 25
-Your Excellency Mr President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa,
President of the Republic and Chief of State of Portugal
-Excellencies, Presidents of the Republic and Heads of State of Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor.
-Your Excellency Prime Minister of Portugal
-High Entities of the Portuguese State and guests.
-My Ladies, My Gentlemen
Allow me to begin by thanking President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for the kind invitation extended to us to participate in the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the 25th of April 1974.
On that date, the Portuguese took center stage in the event history that passed into history as the Carnation Revolution, which put an end to more than 40 years of Salazar dictatorship, responsible for the oppression not only of the Portuguese people but also of the people of the then Portuguese colonies.
We recognize the courage and heroism of the Abril captains and the Portuguese resisters who fought by all means and means against the dictatorship, facing the regime's oppressive machine, the PIDE/DGS and its appendages, who did not shy away from torturing and killing the best children of this land.
The April Revolution rescued the civic and political rights that had been prohibited and annulled by the dictatorship for almost half a century. It broke Portugal's international isolation before the international community and enabled the implementation of a Democratic State of Law where the rights, freedoms and guarantees of Portuguese citizens are today constitutionally assured.
Ladies , My Lords
While the Portuguese people fought against fascism and the Salazar dictatorship since 1932, we, the African people colonized by Portugal, fought since the 15th century against Portuguese colonization and its consequences such as slavery and the plundering of our wealth.
We fight for an end to the abuses, crimes and violations of human rights committed by the colonialist regime against our people for centuries. We fight for our dignity as human beings that we are, who must have the same right to freedom, the right to be the masters of our own destiny.
The armed struggles for our Independence in Guinea Bissau, in Angola and in Mozambique, they reached such an advanced stage, especially after the failure of the Mar Verde operation, the assassination of Amílcar Cabral and the proclamation of Independence by the PAIGC in the hills of Madina de Boé in 1973 in Guinea Bissau, the fiasco of the Nó Górdio operation and the heavy losses inflicted by FRELIMO and the MPLA on Portuguese colonial troops in Mozambique and in the North and East of Angola, which precipitated the events that led to the uprising and military coup of April 25, 1974 in Portugal.
The liberation struggle in the then Portuguese colonies in Africa increased the feeling and awareness among the Portuguese of the need for the fall of the regime that was dictator and fascist, but at the same time colonialist.
Our cause it was the same as that of the Portuguese people and, therefore, together we fought and together we defeated the same enemy, colonialism and the fascist dictatorship of Salazar and Caetano.
Today we maintain fraternal bonds of friendship between our respective peoples, at the same time that we established fruitful and mutually advantageous economic cooperation between our countries.
The April Revolution inaugurated a new phase in the history of the Portuguese nation, which managed to establish a creative democracy in the years that followed. , vibrant and inclusive, capable of maintaining fraternal relations with its former colonies, based on sharing a common linguistic, historical and cultural heritage.
After we achieved our independence in the 70s, some of our Countries, such as Angola and Mozambique, also had to face the invasion of their territories by the forces of the South African apartheid regime and their internal protégés.
Thanks to our determination not to accept a new domination, we faced them on several fronts, culminating in the defeat in the historic battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola on March 23, 1988, an event that irreversibly changed the correlation of forces on the political chessboard of Southern Africa.
< br/>The apartheid regime fell, Namibia became a free and independent state and South Africa established a democratic regime, governed by those who won the majority of voters' votes at the polls.
We knew how to overcome and overcome the challenge of our existence as free and sovereign nations, establish peace and reconciliation among ourselves, and are today engaged in the economic and social development of our countries.
Today's challenge is the the consolidation of democracy, the diversification and strengthening of our economies, the increase in the supply of goods and services, the increase in exports and the increase in the supply of jobs to reduce unemployment.
< br/>
Ladies, Gentlemen
On this date in which we celebrate fifty years of the 25th of April, the world watches with concern the growth and proliferation of extremist movements, xenophobia, neo-Nazism, political intolerance and religious fundamentalism, terrorism, which threaten democracies and seek, through democratic means in some cases but, above all, through unconstitutional methods and paths, to reach power.
< br/>Let's bring more together once our will and energy to face and defeat these negative forces that today present themselves in new guises, but which threaten the fundamental freedoms of citizens, human life and the social progress of nations.
We, that we fight for the freedom that we celebrate today, we have a moral duty to condemn the aggression, occupation and annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia and to demand respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and that the necessary diplomatic efforts be made to achieve the definitive peace in Ukraine and in Europe in general.
We once again condemn the terrorist action of October 7th, which killed thousands of peaceful Israeli citizens and took hundreds of hostages, who must be released .
We also condemn Israel's disproportionate reaction, which despite its right to defend its citizens and the State of Israel, cannot have carte blanche, a green light to indiscriminately kill children, women, old people , bedridden patients, journalists and workers from international humanitarian organizations.
International humanitarian law must be respected in a situation of war. The world cannot allow that, with the argument of the need to eliminate Hamas, the Palestinian people be exterminated not only by the action of bombs, but also by the denial imposed by force of the most basic humanitarian right, that of access to food, water and medical and medication assistance.
There are no terrorist people, the Palestinian people are like all people, a peaceful people who aim to live in peace and harmony with other peoples, within the framework of an internationally recognized State.
The time has come to demand an end to this war and to begin taking, without further delay, the concrete and necessary steps towards the de facto creation of the State of Palestine, as determined by the various Council Resolutions Security Council of the United Nations, which considers this the only safe and lasting way to resolve this old conflict, in the interests of both peoples, the Jew and the Palestinian, of Israel and Palestine.
Everything must be done by the international community in order to avoid the imminent likelihood of the conflict escalating and spreading in what is one of the most volatile regions of our planet. Regardless of who cast the first stone, we appeal to Israel and Iran for the need for maximum restraint to preserve world peace and security.
Allow me, on this solemn occasion, to convey a fraternal embrace from the Angolan people to the Portuguese people.
From this platform, I invite all the Heads of State and Government of the CPLP member states, to honor us with their presence at the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the National Independence of Angola next year 2025, which will be formalized in due course through the appropriate channels.
Thank you very much for your attention.
■ 50 YEARS OF APRIL 25
-Your Excellency Mr President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa,
President of the Republic and Chief of State of Portugal
-Excellencies, Presidents of the Republic and Heads of State of Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor.
-Your Excellency Prime Minister of Portugal
-High Entities of the Portuguese State and guests.
-My Ladies, My Gentlemen
Allow me to begin by thanking President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for the kind invitation extended to us to participate in the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the 25th of April 1974.
On that date, the Portuguese took center stage in the event history that passed into history as the Carnation Revolution, which put an end to more than 40 years of Salazar dictatorship, responsible for the oppression not only of the Portuguese people but also of the people of the then Portuguese colonies.
We recognize the courage and heroism of the Abril captains and the Portuguese resisters who fought by all means and means against the dictatorship, facing the regime's oppressive machine, the PIDE/DGS and its appendages, who did not shy away from torturing and killing the best children of this land.
The April Revolution rescued the civic and political rights that had been prohibited and annulled by the dictatorship for almost half a century. It broke Portugal's international isolation before the international community and enabled the implementation of a Democratic State of Law where the rights, freedoms and guarantees of Portuguese citizens are today constitutionally assured.
Ladies , My Lords
While the Portuguese people fought against fascism and the Salazar dictatorship since 1932, we, the African people colonized by Portugal, fought since the 15th century against Portuguese colonization and its consequences such as slavery and the plundering of our wealth.
We fight for an end to the abuses, crimes and violations of human rights committed by the colonialist regime against our people for centuries. We fight for our dignity as human beings that we are, who must have the same right to freedom, the right to be the masters of our own destiny.
The armed struggles for our Independence in Guinea Bissau, in Angola and in Mozambique, they reached such an advanced stage, especially after the failure of the Mar Verde operation, the assassination of Amílcar Cabral and the proclamation of Independence by the PAIGC in the hills of Madina de Boé in 1973 in Guinea Bissau, the fiasco of the Nó Górdio operation and the heavy losses inflicted by FRELIMO and the MPLA on Portuguese colonial troops in Mozambique and in the North and East of Angola, which precipitated the events that led to the uprising and military coup of April 25, 1974 in Portugal.
The liberation struggle in the then Portuguese colonies in Africa increased the feeling and awareness among the Portuguese of the need for the fall of the regime that was dictator and fascist, but at the same time colonialist.
Our cause it was the same as that of the Portuguese people and, therefore, together we fought and together we defeated the same enemy, colonialism and the fascist dictatorship of Salazar and Caetano.
Today we maintain fraternal bonds of friendship between our respective peoples, at the same time that we established fruitful and mutually advantageous economic cooperation between our countries.
The April Revolution inaugurated a new phase in the history of the Portuguese nation, which managed to establish a creative democracy in the years that followed. , vibrant and inclusive, capable of maintaining fraternal relations with its former colonies, based on sharing a common linguistic, historical and cultural heritage.
After we achieved our independence in the 70s, some of our Countries, such as Angola and Mozambique, also had to face the invasion of their territories by the forces of the South African apartheid regime and their internal protégés.
Thanks to our determination not to accept a new domination, we faced them on several fronts, culminating in the defeat in the historic battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola on March 23, 1988, an event that irreversibly changed the correlation of forces on the political chessboard of Southern Africa.
< br/>The apartheid regime fell, Namibia became a free and independent state and South Africa established a democratic regime, governed by those who won the majority of voters' votes at the polls.
We knew how to overcome and overcome the challenge of our existence as free and sovereign nations, establish peace and reconciliation among ourselves, and are today engaged in the economic and social development of our countries.
Today's challenge is the the consolidation of democracy, the diversification and strengthening of our economies, the increase in the supply of goods and services, the increase in exports and the increase in the supply of jobs to reduce unemployment.
< br/>
Ladies, Gentlemen
On this date in which we celebrate fifty years of the 25th of April, the world watches with concern the growth and proliferation of extremist movements, xenophobia, neo-Nazism, political intolerance and religious fundamentalism, terrorism, which threaten democracies and seek, through democratic means in some cases but, above all, through unconstitutional methods and paths, to reach power.
< br/>Let's bring more together once our will and energy to face and defeat these negative forces that today present themselves in new guises, but which threaten the fundamental freedoms of citizens, human life and the social progress of nations.
We, that we fight for the freedom that we celebrate today, we have a moral duty to condemn the aggression, occupation and annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia and to demand respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and that the necessary diplomatic efforts be made to achieve the definitive peace in Ukraine and in Europe in general.
We once again condemn the terrorist action of October 7th, which killed thousands of peaceful Israeli citizens and took hundreds of hostages, who must be released .
We also condemn Israel's disproportionate reaction, which despite its right to defend its citizens and the State of Israel, cannot have carte blanche, a green light to indiscriminately kill children, women, old people , bedridden patients, journalists and workers from international humanitarian organizations.
International humanitarian law must be respected in a situation of war. The world cannot allow that, with the argument of the need to eliminate Hamas, the Palestinian people be exterminated not only by the action of bombs, but also by the denial imposed by force of the most basic humanitarian right, that of access to food, water and medical and medication assistance.
There are no terrorist people, the Palestinian people are like all people, a peaceful people who aim to live in peace and harmony with other peoples, within the framework of an internationally recognized State.
The time has come to demand an end to this war and to begin taking, without further delay, the concrete and necessary steps towards the de facto creation of the State of Palestine, as determined by the various Council Resolutions Security Council of the United Nations, which considers this the only safe and lasting way to resolve this old conflict, in the interests of both peoples, the Jew and the Palestinian, of Israel and Palestine.
Everything must be done by the international community in order to avoid the imminent likelihood of the conflict escalating and spreading in what is one of the most volatile regions of our planet. Regardless of who cast the first stone, we appeal to Israel and Iran for the need for maximum restraint to preserve world peace and security.
Allow me, on this solemn occasion, to convey a fraternal embrace from the Angolan people to the Portuguese people.
From this platform, I invite all the Heads of State and Government of the CPLP member states, to honor us with their presence at the celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the National Independence of Angola next year 2025, which will be formalized in due course through the appropriate channels.
Thank you very much for your attention.