The IL party has expressed “perplexity and concern” in a letter addressed to Stella Novo Zeca regarding the refusal of entry into Mozambique for Lusophone comedians Hugo Sousa from Portugal, Gilmário Vemba from Angola, and Murilo Couto from Brazil on Saturday.
The party highlighted that these individuals, “well-known public figures in the Lusophone space,” traveled to Mozambique to participate in a widely promoted cultural show, which was sold out and for which they had obtained the necessary documentation, including entry visas.
“Their detention and prohibition from entry, communicated in a non-transparent manner, not only disrupts the individuals involved but also sends a worrying signal to everyone who, in good faith, intends to collaborate with Mozambique and its people in cultural, academic, or professional initiatives,” the letter states.
The IL further noted that the show in which these three comedians were slated to perform, titled “Tons de Comédia,” had already been staged in cities such as Luanda, São Tomé, Ponta Delgada, and Praia, with several performances scheduled in Brazilian cities, demonstrating “the cultural and Lusophone connection and interest of this initiative.”
“It becomes even more concerning if there are fears that this decision is related to alleged political sympathies expressed by one of the artists. Should these motivations be confirmed, it would represent a severe violation of the fundamental principles of freedom of expression, movement, and respect for the cultural ties that unite the CPLP countries,” they warn.
IL has thus requested the Ambassador of Mozambique in Portugal to “officially inform the reasons that led to the refusal of entry of the citizens in question,” and to clarify whether “there was any political or governmental interference in the decision made by Mozambican migration authorities.”
The party also calls for “assurances that such cases will not be repeated, ensuring that Mozambique remains a country open to cultural and artistic exchange within the Lusophone space.”
IL believes that cooperation between the Portuguese and Mozambican peoples “must be grounded on mutual trust, institutional transparency, and respect for the common values that link Portugal and Mozambique.”
On Sunday, the Angolan comedian Gilmário Vemba announced from Maputo airport the cancellation of a show in the Mozambican capital alongside Portuguese Hugo Sousa and Brazilian Murilo Couto after being barred from entering the country.
The Lusa news agency contacted Mozambique’s National Migration Service (Senami) but did not receive any explanation for the alleged detention of the comedians at Maputo International Airport.
Dinis Tivane, an advisor to politician and former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the results of Mozambique’s general elections on October 9, stated on his Facebook account in the evening that Gilmário Vemba was “prevented from entering Mozambique for expressing his opinions.”
On July 8, Venâncio Mondlane and Gilmário Vemba publicly shared a meeting in Lisbon, praising “Anamalala,” which in the Macua language spoken in northern Mozambique means “it will end” or “it ended,” a phrase used by the politician during the general elections campaign of October 9, 2024, and which became popular in protests he organized in the subsequent months, failing to recognize the voting results, an acronym of the party he is attempting to legalize: National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamalala).
