The position was expressed in a statement on the occasion of January 4, the Day of the Martyrs of Colonial Repression, issued by the Secretariat of the Political Bureau of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).
The declaration recalls "the massacre of Baixa de Cassanje, perpetrated in 1961 by the Portuguese colonial regime against thousands of defenseless citizens", rendering the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the MPLA "profound tribute to the murdered compatriots, expressing the firm commitment to preservation of its historical legacy".
On January 4, 1961, in the cotton fields of Baixa do Cassange, Malanje province, peasants working for Cotonang (Cotonang Company of Angola) revolted and burned the seeds supplied by the cotton company, being harshly repressed in an attack which left an indeterminate number of dead.
The revolt continued with the assaults on Luanda jails, the following month, and uprisings in northern Angola, events that marked the beginning of the colonial war.
"For the Political Bureau, the protest of the Baixa de Cassanje peasants, more than an act of just claiming rights, represented a heroic posture full of bravery and determination of the Angolan People for freedom, and marked the beginning of the process of armed struggle , which culminated in the proclamation of national independence in November 1975", says the declaration.
The note emphasizes that the MPLA defends the permanent valorization of the date, as a tribute to its mentors, "exhorting all citizens, from Cabinda to Cunene, to ensure with a perennial sense of gratitude and recognition this relevant fact and heroic feat, as a source of inspiration for the permanent construction of a more developed, democratic and inclusive Angola".
In the document, the Executive is encouraging the strengthening of actions in favor of poverty reduction, namely through an effective redistribution of national wealth, social inclusion and the socio-productive reintegration of the most vulnerable groups, in particular through the registration of households in situations of vulnerability and with the consequent development of a minimum social protection package.
The Political Bureau of the MPLA emphasizes that the celebrations of the 61st anniversary of the events in Baixa de Cassanje take place in a year of general elections, "an obvious premise for the consolidation and strengthening of the democratic rule of law".
"So the MPLA urges the Angolan population to patriotically participate in the actions that contribute to the success of the Unofficial Electoral Registry, thus strengthening the pillars of building a society based on high expressions of justice, solidarity, peace, equality and social progress", stresses the statement.
"Strengthened by its trajectory of struggles and conquests, the MPLA salutes all Angolans who, with a high civic posture, have contributed to the promotion of Angola's socioeconomic and territorial development, and reinforces the call to support, unconditionally and unequivocally. , Comrade President João Lourenço's leadership in creating a business environment that encourages and attracts private investment, increase national production of essential goods, services, raise more foreign exchange and create more jobs for Angolans", it reads. in the declaration.
