The Light of Thought

Testimony of Pedro Vieira in the book on Martins Junior

I was a young man of 14, but I will never forget that strange episode when we had a two week power cut during Christmas. Why? My father had had the courage to supply electricity to Father Martins Junior's election campaign kiosk for Machico municipality, challenging the dominant power. I confess we never saw with so much clarity in he middle of the darkness they wished to impose on us. We understood that liberty was about to cross the threshold of the City and that the day of victory was at hand.

On the 17th of December 1989, Father Martins won the elections. I remember that night with great joy and emotion. The people partied in downtown Machico, commemorating their own victory! For me, it was the victory of seeing the light. The fear had disappeared, the air was lighter, history had begun a new cycle. We were living "April" (i.e. the Revolution that toppled the dictatorship) in its plenitude.