São Brás de Alportel celebrated the 25th of April with a solemn session in which it paid tribute to the local government, having inaugurated a gallery of all the presidents of the Parish Council since 1919.
«Today we commemorate the forty-seventh anniversary of the April revolution, a historic landmark that restored dignity to the Portuguese people, by the disinterested and courageous hands of those who, in the dawn of April 25, overthrew a dictatorship and fought without a thirst for fame or vanity for a free country», said João Rosa, president of the Parish Council of São Brás, at the beginning of the session.
This moment was preceded by the protocol ceremony of Hastear da Bandeia, to the sound of the National Anthem, interpreted by the Philharmonic Band of São Brás de Alportel, with the collaboration of the Fire Department, in a reduced format, exclusively for guests, due to the pandemic context.
Bearing in mind the tribute to local power assumed in this year's commemorations, the president of the Municipal Assembly Ulisses de Brito congratulated the initiative of great significance and regretted that Local Power in Portugal has not yet been strengthened with the implementation of regionalization.
«After 47 years since the dawn that brought Freedom and Peace to the Portuguese people, we are here today to celebrate this event that was decisive in the course of our history, reaffirming today and always the values, ideals and achievements of Revolution, fundamental pillars in the construction of democracy and a plural society, which promotes freedom, equality, solidarity and justice», underlined the Mayor Vitor Guerreiro, in his speech delivered in the middle of Parque das Amendoeiras.
Vitor Guerreiro also took the opportunity to leave a message of thanks and encouragement to São Brasenses and a thank you to all citizens and public and private entities that have joined forces in an exemplary manner so that São Brás de Alportel can overcome the pandemic and the consequent economic and social crisis.
"Fighting the pandemic, supporting the local economy and supporting families in situations of social and economic fragility have been the priority axes of a local intervention strategy based on the Municipal Emergency Fund," added Vitor Guerreiro, listing several municipal measures conceived in a pandemic context to respond to current economic, social and health challenges, where the partnership with health authorities allowed, among other measures, the creation of the Testing Center Drive and the Municipal Vaccination Center that came into operation this Tuesday, April 27, allowing the start of the massive vaccination plan for the population.
After a period of interventions, followed by the delivery of commemorative plaques in tribute to the workers of the local power, attributed to all the former presidents of the Parish Council of São Brás de Alportel since 1919.
During the ceremony, many former presidents and their representatives left their testimonies.
As for the gallery of presidents, it is now permanently on display on the premises of the Parish Council, making known the São Brasenses who, since 1919, have led this autarchy
Invited to participate in the São Brasense commemorations of the Carnation Revolution, the Secretary of State for Decentralization and Local Administration Jorge Botelho praised the initiative: «nothing better to celebrate April than to recognize the importance of mayors», recalling that the process of transfer of powers from the State to the municipalities.
A "level of responsibility for which the executive of São Brás de Alportel will be competent to perform", he said.
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