Lisbon, 2 July (Inforpress) – The President of the Republic, José Maria Neves, presented awards this Wednesday in Lisbon to Manuel de Almeida Damásio and Lucas Filipe da Cruz, in recognition of their contributions to education and community organisations within the Cape Verdean community in Portugal.
Manuel Damásio, president of COFAC, was awarded the Medal of Merit, 1st Class, whilst association leader Lucas da Cruz received the Volcano Medal, also 1st Class, at a ceremony held at the Cape Verdean Embassy in Lisbon, as part of the programme for the Head of State’s official visit to Portugal, which concludes on Thursday 2nd.
According to José Maria Neves, the honours form part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of national independence and recognise individuals who, both before and after independence, contributed to the country’s development.
The President of the Republic highlighted the role of education as one of the key drivers of social transformation and mobility, emphasising the contribution made by the Portuguese citizen Manuel Damásio to strengthening higher education in the archipelago.
FM/HF
Inforpress/End