An online petition opposing the construction of a museum dedicated to Portugal’s former dictatorial regime ‘Estado Novo’ and its leader António de Oliveira Salazar has already been signed by over 9,200 people (at the time of writing).
Construction of the ‘Centro Interpretativo do Estado Novo’ is due to begin this month in Santa Comba Dão in the district of Viseu.
Local mayor Leonel Gouveia has assured that the museum will be a “place to study the Estado Novo and never a sanctuary for nationalists”.
“What will be revealed is a 50-year period of our history that had Salazar as its key figure,” he said.
But Joana Lopes, one of the creators of the petition, fears that the plan is certain to backfire and that the museum will become a tourist attraction for fascists, adding that “this has already happened in other countries”.
The petition has already been supported by notable figures such as former CGTP union leader Carvalho da Silva, writer Maria Teresa Horta, former University of Lisbon rector José Barata Moura, Bloco de Esquerda MP José Manuel Pureza and former Secretary of State for Education Ana Benavente.
The petition can be found here: https://peticaopublica.com/pview.aspx?pi=PT94050
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