Africa-Press – Angola. The Minister of National Defense, Former Combatants and Veterans of the Country, João Ernesto dos Santos, highlighted, this Wednesday, in Cape Verde, the actions of President João Lourenço in favor of the well-being of the country’s heroes.
The government official made these considerations during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Prisoners from the Tarrafal Concentration Camp, in Cape Verde, on behalf of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.
On the occasion, he stressed that, among these actions are the construction of symbolic representations, including monuments and sites, important infrastructures in the process of consolidating the teaching of history to current youth and future generations.
João Ernesto dos Santos also highlighted the continuous engagement of the Angolan Executive in actions to reinforce social protection for former combatants and veterans of the country, to improve their living conditions.
“It is our moral and patriotic duty to continue to permanently improve the living conditions of these public servants who constitute the primary sources of our history” he stressed.
He said that everything that is done to dignify the former fighters and veterans of the country is little compared to the political dimension and meaning of their actions.
In this context, he highlighted the selfless sacrifice for the conquest and preservation of independence, aiming at effective liberation from the colonial yoke and self-determination in the context of nations.
According to the minister, these achievements also extend to peace and national reconciliation and the democratic rule of law.
“It is with this feeling that, on behalf of President João Lourenço, I reiterate my thanks for the invitation made to be present at this event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of Political Prisoners from the Tarrafal Concentration Camp, here on the island of Santiago”, he highlighted.
The event brought together the heads of state of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, as host, from Guinea-Bissau, Umaru Sissocko, from Portugal, Marcelo de Sousa, and the minister, João Ernesto dos Santos, representing President João Lourenço.
The program included the unveiling of the commemorative plaque and the special session, with statements by the heads of state, the minister Liberdade, and the mayor of Tarrafal, as well as a representative of combatants and former prisoners and survivors of the “Campo da Slow death”.
The event ended with a Liberdade concert, in Campo do Tarrafal.
The Tarrafal Concentration Camp, also called “Campo da Morte Lenta”, located in the village of Chão Bom, in the Municipality of Tarrafal, on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde.
It was founded in 1936, during a process of reorganization of the Estado Novo prison system, with the aim of incarcerating political and social prisoners.
The location was chosen strategically, both because it was perfect so that the testimonies would not become public, with the main objective of physically and psychologically annihilating the Portuguese and African opponents of the Salazar dictatorship.
This isolates them from the rest of the world in inhumane conditions of captivity, mistreatment and unsanitary conditions.
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