The open letter, addressed to the Argentine Football Federation and its national team, is signed by the Episcopal Commission for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation of CEAST [Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé], Pro Bono Angola, the Justice, Peace, and Democracy Association (AJPD), and Friends of Angola (FoA).
The four Angolan organizations emphasize that their appeal "does not oppose sport or the bonds of friendship between peoples," but rather represents "a cry of conscience in the face of the painful reality experienced by millions of Angolans—a reality that contrasts shockingly with the ostentation and millions of dollars spent on organizing this event."
The document's signatories cite the report SOFI 2025 – The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. This indicates that more than 27 million Angolans (approximately 71.4 percent of the population) did not have access to a healthy diet in 2024 and that malnutrition affects 22.5 percent of the population, approximately 8.3 million people.
"While public resources are channeled into large-scale sporting events, thousands of children and adults face chronic hunger, severe anemia, and widespread food insecurity," they emphasize in the letter.
According to these organizations, "the serious social crisis occurs in a political environment marked by systematic repression against citizens who express critical thinking."
"Although Angola presents itself as a democracy with a free economy, only a select group of citizens, mostly linked to the MPLA [Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola] — the party that supports the government — benefit from business and have access to credit lines," they emphasize.
They also describe that, "despite the country possessing enormous natural resources—oil, minerals, biodiversity, water resources, and more than 11 million hectares of arable land—the overwhelming majority of the population lives in extreme poverty."
In the letter, the signatories recalled that the country experienced three days of protests, between July 28th and 30th of this year, a period in which, according to the National Police, "at least 30 deaths, more than 277 injuries, and approximately 1,515 arrests" were recorded.
"This scenario includes: arbitrary arrests of journalists, activists, and peaceful protesters; excessive use of police force, with reports of summary executions; and criminalization of freedom of expression and civic mobilization, especially among young people," the document states.
"Such abuses are amply documented by organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and United Nations special rapporteurs," they add, emphasizing that this scenario reveals "a state that silences dissenting voices instead of listening to them—a logic of political control, not a commitment to justice and dignity."
For these organizations, the friendly match with Argentina, promoted as part of the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations, is being used as "a propaganda tool" and "does not represent an inclusive celebration for the Angolan people."
"[It] is used to cover up violations and divert attention from the serious social crisis," they charge, considering that "investing millions of dollars in a sporting event, while thousands go hungry, hospitals collapse, and repression intensifies, is not a legitimate priority—it is an insult to human dignity."
In a direct appeal to Argentine player Messi, the Argentine Football Association and players of the Argentine national team, the organizations said that the cancellation would be "a courageous, ethical and profoundly humanitarian act - a clear message to the world that justice, dignity and equality are worth more than any sporting spectacle financed with the suffering of a people."
