Five Decades After the Revolution, Colonial Structures in Portuguese Society Continue to Persist

A CONVERSATION WITH ANA NAOMI DE SOUSA

As many of us celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Revolution that ended the dictatorship in Portugal, Léopold spoke with regular Funambulist contributor Ana Naomi de Sousa about the persistence of colonial structures within the country today. They discuss the role of African revolutionary movements in this revolution, present day political organizing efforts, as well as the specific situation of Timorese laborers in the exploitative Portuguese agricultural industry.

LÉOPOLD LAMBERT: One particularity about the defeat of Portuguese colonialism in Mozambique, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome and Principe is that it was concomitant with the Portuguese Revolution in 1974. This, we may argue, could actualize the idea that in undertaking decolonization, colonized people liberate not only themselves, but also their colonizers, to some extent. To what degree would you say this idea applies to Portuguese society post-revolution and also importantly, to what degree does it not apply?

ANA NAOMI DE SOUSA: Well, I guess we could debate what we mean by decolonization and liberation. But before we go there, the revolution in Portugal, which overthrew the fascist dictatorship, and the defeat of fascist Portuguese colonialism were more than just contemporaneous: they were deeply intertwined. The April 25, 1974 revolution in Portugal happened—to a great extent—because of the anti-colonial struggle, a struggle waged not only in the then-colonies, but also in Portugal, and from other locations of exile and intervention including France, Algeria, Zaire, and the USSR. The armed struggles against Portuguese colonialism in Angola, Guinea Bissau, and Mozambique put an enormous strain on the economy and society in Portugal. Over 700,000 young men were sent to the colonies to serve in the wars, and many young people fled the country to avoid being drafted. By the 1970s, other European colonial nations had been forced to cede independence to most of their colonies, while Portugal continued to hold onto theirs, despite the overwhelming arguments that undermined their stance. This made Portugal increasingly isolated and unpopular on the world stage. For example, in 1973, when Marcelo Caeatano—then Prime Minister of the “Estado Novo”—visited London, he was greeted by a huge demonstration against Portuguese colonialism: a gathering of internationalist organizations and movements (from trade unions to Black British movements, to South African solidarity movements), who mobilized against what Portugal represented at the time.