Portugal’s president receives warm welcome in Gustine. ‘This will go down in history’
Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was given an enthusiastic welcome to Gustine on Sunday, where he met with community members and local dignitaries as part of his trip to California.
Gustine Mayor Pat Nagy presented Rebelo de Sousa with a key to the city, saying the moment will be remembered for years to come.
“This will go down in history, you can believe it,” Nagy told the audience gathered at Gustine Pentecostal Society Portuguese Hall. “You will forever be welcome here, and you will be in our hearts.”
Rebelo de Sousa told the Sun-Star he had planned on coming to Gustine in 2020, but that visit was postponed by the COVID pandemic.
Rebelo de Sousa explained while there are many stops on his trip, when talking about Gustine he said, “But this one is even more special. No other Portuguese president has been here. So many Portuguese have been working here. I had to come.”
He called the United States an ally and “a very old friend,” saying Portuguese Americans remain “resilient” and determined to succeed.
“(The Valley) is a place where Portuguese have been for 150 years,” he told reporters gathered for the event. “It’s a lifetime. Several generations.”
Gustine has one of the highest concentrations of Americans with Portuguese heritage in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Many of those local folks trace their ancestry back to the Azores, as well as Portugal itself.
The city is steeped in Portuguese history and longtime traditions that continue to this day, like its annual festa, which began in the 1930s.
When given the key to the city by Nagy, Rebelo de Sousa joked, “Now I feel like a citizen. I don’t know if you thought about it before offering it ... I feel good here, I may be back several times.”
Rebelo de Sousa presented a merit medal to local dairy farmer Joao Pires while addressing the group in Gustine. Pires, who is originally from Azores, was moved to tears as he accepted the medal.
Gustine Pentecost Society President Manuel Siqueiros said it meant so much to the people of Gustine for Rebelo de Sousa to take the time to visit.
“Just the fact that he recognizes this Portuguese community and to come out here and celebrate this day and express his happiness with the people of Gustine, it’s amazing,” Siqueiros said. “You don’t get a foreign president visiting a lot of places let alone Gustine, California.”
Other scheduled stops on Rebelo de Sousa’s California trip include throwing the first pitch at the San Francisco Giants-Colorado Rockies game Tuesday in celebration of Portuguese Heritage Night.
He was scheduled to appear at Stanford University on Monday for a panel discussion titled “Sustainable Solutions for Portugal and California.”
“(Portugal has) 60% of our energy sources coming from renewable (energy),” Rebelo de Sousa said Sunday, saying that number is expected to increase to 80% by 2030.
He also mentioned Portugal’s efforts to embrace the digital revolution, particularly with many young entrepreneurs spearheading startups and technological innovations.
“(That) is something that makes California and Portugal very much alike. It’s very good,” he said. “We are far away, but we are very close, facing these new challenges. “
