The life of Aristides de Sousa Mendes: An example for us all
Secretary-General António Guterres heralded the opening of a new museum in central Portugal on Friday which honours the extraordinary life of a man who showed “immense bravery” helping thousands of refugees escape the Nazi regime during World War Two.
“Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a beacon of courage, compassion, and conviction in a world of total moral collapse,” said Mr. Guterres in a video message to inaugurate the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Museum in the town of Carregal do Sal.
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese diplomat based in Bordeaux, France, who defied his own Government’s orders to stamp passports and visas that allowed thousands to flee on to Portugal.
Safe passage
A Portuguese visa allowed them safe passage through Spain, which was officially neutral. However, the infamous Portuguese ‘Circular 14’ directive instructed diplomats to deny safe haven to refugees, explicitly Jews, Russians, and other stateless persons who could not return home.
As the Nazis quickly approached the Bordeaux consulate where Mendes was working, he faced a stark choice between following orders or saving lives. He chose the latter, declaring “I would rather stand with God against Man than with Man against God.”
‘Lives saved and lives lived’
Working day and night, Mendes established a rapid system to stamp and sign passports and issue thousands of lifesaving visas in June 1940.
“His legacy is lives saved and lives lived – including a young girl who, years later, would become the mother of my own Spokesperson at the United Nations,” said the UN chief, who served as Prime Minister of Portugal between 1995 and 2002.
Mr. Mendes was forced to pay for his heroism. Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar – who ruled the country for forty years up to 1968 - expelled him from the diplomatic corps without any pension, leaving him to die in poverty.
Thankfully, in the decades since, the magnitude and bravery of his actions have been gradually recognised, said the Secretary-General.
“This museum – in his ancestral home – is a critical part of those efforts,” Mr. Guterres stressed.
The memory of Mendes
The inauguration of the museum comes at a “vital time,” as the number of people forced to flee their homes has reached a record high and “hatred and intolerance are rife,” Mr. Guterres noted.
“We are at risk of forgetting our shared humanity,” he emphasised.
In this context, Mr. Guterres is calling on people everywhere to be inspired by the memory of Mr. Mendes and take courage from his bravery.
“Let us commit to defend human rights and dignity for all. And to stand up against discrimination, intolerance, and hate whenever and wherever they appear,” the Secretary-General said.