Isabel Abreu, the education and culture minister of Sao Tome and Principe, an African island, announced Thursday that the government will ask Portugal to repair the moral damage caused by colonialism.
Minister Isabel Abreu said in a statement to the Portuguese news agency Lusa that the government of Sao Tome and Principe will develop a plan to discuss compensation with Portugal, adding that the process will take time. According to Ms. Abreu, the issue will be discussed during the Cabinet on Thursday.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in an interview with Reuters last week, said his country was responsible for crimes committed during the colonial era and transatlantic slavery and indicated that reparations were needed.
His statements sparked sharp criticism from right-wing parties and a national controversy.
Contrary to statements by Rebelo de Sousa, also a conservative, Portugal's centre-right government, which holds executive power, said it would not begin the process of paying compensation. Instead, he called for reconciliation.
Over a period of more than 400 years, Portuguese ships kidnapped nearly 6 million Africans, forced them across the Atlantic and sold them into slavery, primarily in Brazil.
During the Portuguese colonial era, Portugal ruled countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor and some Asian provinces.
