JERSEY’S Portuguese community received a visit from a leading politician from their homeland as part of the annual Portugal Day celebrations.
The visit to the Island on Thursday by Paulo Cafôfo, which included a reception at St Helier Town Hall, a tour of businesses in the town and lunch at a local restaurant, was the first by Portugal’s Secretary of State for Communities for 24 years.
Mr Cafôfo was accompanied by Dr Rui Abreu, Madeira’s regional director for communities and external co-operation, and a senior official from the Portuguese Consulate General in London. The trip to Jersey was arranged to coincide with an official visit to London by António Costa, Portugal’s Prime Minister, and the country’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Senior Procureur du Bien Public Peter Pearce welcomed the visitors to St Helier, while the event at the Town Hall featured fado music and performances by a visiting Madeiran singer and local folk dancing group Bailinho.
A Madeiran native who served as mayor of Funchal between 2013 and 2019 and visited Jersey on several occasions during this period, Mr Cafôfo was appointed to his present role in March of this year.
Writing on social media, Mr Cafôfo said: ‘How nice it was to come back to the island of #Jersey and embrace our community.
‘It was a special day, because in addition to celebrating Portugal Day, it has been 24 years since a Secretary of State for Communities has visited.’
St Helier has been twinned with Funchal since the signing of an official agreement in April 2012.
Portugal Day is celebrated on 10 June each year, marking the anniversary of the death in 1580 of poet and national literary icon Luís de Camões.
