Consul: Angola celebrates Africa Day looking forward to upcoming election

Marked by an almost 30-year civil war, Angola, in western Africa, returned to peace in 2002, and is still building its democracy. With a population of 24 million, Angola is now amid an election campaign, with the polls slated for August 23.

The country has been ruled by President José Eduardo dos Santos of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) since 1979. During three decades of civil war, the ruling party was threatened several times by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), but remained in power. The president won the 1992 election, and UNITA did not concede the results, which led to another 10 years of conflict. After the war ended, the MPLA won a legislative election in 2008 and a general election in 2012.

On Thursday (May 25), when Africa Day is celebrated, Joaquim Augusto Belo Barroso Mangueira, Consul General of Angola in São Paulo, told Agência Brasil the upcoming election gives the celebration a special meaning. “This is a very important day for us, especially as the election draws near. The goals of the African Union, which are basically centered around freedom and defense of the population, are all symbolized by this electoral process, the purpose of which is to allow parties to show their proposals for improving the living conditions of the population.”

Africa Day and Africa Week are celebrated annually by the Permanent African Delegations to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the purpose of increasing visibility of Africa, highlighting the diversity of its culture and art heritage.

Soap opera on TV Brasil

Angola, the setting of the soap opera Jikulumessu – Abre o Olho, which came on air on TV Brasil last Thursday (May 25) 8:30 pm, receives investment from Brazil and shares cultural similarities with it. “We have large Brazilian investments in Angola, and we think there's room for improvement, especially because of the history, culture, and language we share, but also because of the interest our two countries take in each other,” the Consul said. He pointed out Brazil was the first country to recognize the independence of Angola in 1975, when it ceased to be a Portuguese colony. “Because of that, [Brazil] plays an important role in our foreign policy, is one of the strongest countries in Latin America, and can share its experiences and expertise in a range of fields.”

The Consul went on to note the relevance of the Angolan community in Brazil, which helps bring the countries closer together. “The Angolan community reflects this kind of relationship between Brazilians and Angolans who have come here for academic as well as commercial and business purposes. This is a reflection of the bilateral relationship between Angola and Brazil as a whole.”

For him, the Angolan soap opera aired on TV Brasil will allow Brazilians to learn more about Angola, its people and its culture. “It is a very positive way of disseminating Angolan values, and the Brazilian people will be able to learn some aspects of our traditions and cultural values.”

The Consul, who has been living in Brazil for four years, said he likes the warmth of the Brazilian people. “It is an open people who has welcomed us—not only diplomats, but all Angolans who have been here.” Besides the warm-heartedness, Mangueira extolled Brazil's achievements in a number of fields. “I've had the opportunity to learn about Brazil's achievements in education, ecological and technological development, and we should take the opportunity of being here to draw on all this for our own development.”

Translated by Mayra Borges