The Minister of Culture, Dalila Rodrigues, assured today that no cultural property has been identified that has been “unduly appropriated” and that any decision to return it will have to be without imposing conditions.
At a parliamentary hearing, requested by Chega, on the possible return of works of art to the former Portuguese colonies, Dalila Rodrigues revealed that an inventory will be made of cultural goods appropriated from the National Museum of Ethnology (MNE), the museum where most of these types of goods are kept.
According to the minister, there are 14,685 appropriated cultural goods at the MNE, “all of which are documented in a very superficial way”, and that a “rigorous and in-depth” inventory needs to be made, with the participation of universities and study centers.
“Making a list is an act of cataloging. We have this list, we know which goods came from the former colonies and which are fundamentally in the National Museum of Ethnology. (…) The restitution of improperly appropriated goods leads us to an imperative to carry out research missions,” said Dalila Rodrigues.
For the Minister of Culture, the National Museum of Ethnology is “the center for debate” and the inventory will begin as soon as there are “conditions to mobilize universities and study centers”.
“So far, the studies carried out from the point of view of appropriation do not reveal any cultural property that is in a position to be restituted,” she said.
Dalila Rodrigues, who took office in April together with the Secretary of State for Culture, Maria de Lurdes Craveiro, also revealed that a survey has already been sent to the museums, monuments and palaces under her supervision to find out about cultural assets from the former Portuguese colonies.
On the possibility of returning cultural goods to their countries of origin, particularly in the context of the former colonies, the Minister of Culture said that “you can’t impose reception conditions if there are works to be returned”.
“We can’t impose conditions of restitution. It’s a form of paternalism. (…) We can and should establish missions, cooperation campaigns to build capacity in the area of heritage, give the countries where the goods come from conservation and restoration actions, exhibitions,” she said.
The Minister of Culture, Dalila Rodrigues, is being heard today in parliament on the possible return of assets to the former Portuguese colonies and on the resignations and appointments of those responsible for cultural heritage.
The hearing in the parliamentary committee on Culture, Communication, Youth and Sport is Dalila Rodrigues’ first as Minister of Culture, after taking office in April, and is the result of two requests presented in May by Chega and the PS.
On May 18, on International Museum Day, Dalila Rodrigues, as Minister of Culture, told journalists that “if there are any cultural assets that have been misappropriated, from an ethical point of view”, the Portuguese should “return them”, and assured that the government was working in a spirit of cooperation.
In April, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said that the country should lead the process of assuming and repairing the consequences of the period of colonialism and suggested debt forgiveness, cooperation and financing as examples.
