The Embassy of Cape Verde in Portugal today repudiated public statements that, according to the institution, promote the stigmatization of immigrant communities, following the death of Odair Moniz, a Cape Verdean, victim of a gunshot by a Security Police agent Portuguese public (PSP).
In a statement, the Embassy reaffirmed its regret over the death of Odair Moniz and its confidence that the Portuguese authorities will carry out a rigorous investigation to determine the facts and possible responsibilities.
“This Diplomatic Mission, however, deeply deplores and vehemently repudiates certain statements made public that do nothing other than stigmatize immigrant communities, labeling them based on race or origin, as if these facts inevitably determine antisocial and criminal behavior”, reads the statement.
The Embassy classified the commemoration of Moniz’s violent death and the suspect agent’s request for a decoration as unacceptable and inhumane, considering such attitudes an affront to the principles of humanism and democracy.
However, he reiterated the call for serenity and peaceful protest, reinforcing that any act of violence only contributes to fueling ideologies of intolerance.
It also reinforced the need for justice, without foregoing peace, so that immigrants continue to be recognized as hard-working and law-abiding citizens.
Odair Moniz, 43 years old, was shot by a PSP agent in the early hours of Monday, in the neighborhood of Cova da Moura, in Amadora, and died shortly afterwards, at Hospital São Francisco Xavier, in Lisbon.
According to the national directorate of the PSP, the man “ran away” in a car, after seeing a police vehicle on Avenida da República, in Amadora, and “got into trouble” in Cova da Moura, where, when approached by police officers, agents, “resisted arrest and tried to attack them using a sharp weapon”.
According to the Observer, the Judicial Police investigation into the death of Odair Moniz suggests that there was a disproportionate and unjustified use of force.
Following Moniz’s death, a total of 60 incidents were recorded on Tuesday night in Greater Lisbon.
Among the episodes recorded is the destruction of a Carris bus that was set on fire in Bairro do Zambujal, after being stolen by a group of young people who demanded that the passengers and the driver leave its interior. Hours later, and late into the night, a second bus was set on fire, as well as several rubbish bins and a light vehicle.
It should be noted, however, that the president of Chega, André Ventura, spoke out against the constitution as the defendant of the PSP agent who shot Moniz and who said he should “thank him for the work he did in stopping a criminal”.
