The mayor was speaking this Saturday, October 19, at the 14th anniversary celebrations of the Ribeirão branch of the Combatants' League, which were attended by the Minister of National Defence, Nuno Melo.

Mário Passos recalled the intention to install a memorial in honour of all those who served the country in military conflicts in every parish in the municipality, and also showed the municipality's willingness to bring the Colonial War Museum, which is already part of the Vila Nova de Famalicão Museum Network, under municipal control.

‘We are willing to incorporate the museum, preserving it, enriching it, so that we can have a space in Famalicão that is representative of these times,’ he said. ‘I hope that Famalicão will serve as an example to other territories, where there is a tendency for these figures to be forgotten,’ he added.

The Minister of National Defence, Nuno Melo, who was also present at the anniversary celebrations of the Ribeirão branch of the Combatants‘ League, hailed the importance of these figures for Portugal, adding that the government wants to ensure that these “heroes of Portugal” are duly ’respected, honoured and exalted’. These words were welcomed by the president of the Combatants' League, Chito Rodrigues, and the president of the Ribeirão branch, José Ferreira dos Santos.

The Combatants' League is made up of 116 centres, spread across Portugal, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, France and the United States of America. This organisation aims to highlight national symbols, acts or deeds and defend the interests of its members.