Special edition of “Açorianidade” magazine published to mark 50th anniversary of Azores’ autonomy - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

The Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities has just published the third issue of the biannual bilingual magazine “Açorianidade,” a special edition entirely dedicated to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the autonomy of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. 

Published in print and digital formats, the new magazine, produced by the Regional Directorate for the Communities, was presented by the President of the Azorean Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, on May 26, during the opening session of the Azorean Diaspora Council, held at the Conceição Palace in Ponta Delgada. 

This 204-page publication features a foreword by the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, and an editorial by the Regional Director for the Communities, José Andrade. It brings together accounts from successive presidents of the Government: João Bosco Mota Amaral (1976–1995), Alberto Romão Madruga da Costa (1995–1996), in memoriam, Carlos César (1996–2012), Vasco Cordeiro (2012–2020) and José Manuel Bolieiro (since 2020). 

João Bosco Mota Amaral recalled that “when Constitutional Autonomy was established – it will be 50 years this year – the prevailing concern was to affirm the defining characteristics of the Azorean people. The political currents then dominant in Portugal were opposed to such an identity, but that did not concern us in the least, as we were fully aware of the justice of our cause.”

This edition also recalls a speech by Alberto Romão Madruga da Costa, delivered at the formal session commemorating 10 Years of Autonomy at the Regional Assembly of the Azores on September 4 1986, when he stated that “Autonomy opens the doors wide to the intelligent creativity of a people who, day by day, here and in other parts of the world, builds its region and its country.” 

Carlos César, for his part, remarked: “Fifty years after the first Government of the Azores was formed, it is worth remembering that our land and the world have changed, but that the people of the Azores, whether in our homeland or across the globe, have not ceased to be, nor will they ever cease to be, Azoreans.” 

For his part, Vasco Cordeiro considered that “the Autonomy of the Azores, both as a collective project for economic, social and cultural transformation and as a means of affirming identity, cannot achieve its goals without recognising and valuing the existence and contribution of the Azorean diaspora.” 

Finally, José Manuel Bolieiro wrote that “the constitutional recognition of the Azores’ political autonomy was not merely the result of an administrative reorganisation of the State, but of the recognition of a people with their own history, culture and will.” 

The edition also includes contributions from the presidents of the 19 Houses of the Azores around the world: Lisbon (Delfina Porto), the North Region (Miguel Azevedo), the Centro Region (Francisco Coelho Gil) and Madeira (Carlos Madruga da Costa), in Portugal; Rio de Janeiro (João Leonardo Soares), São Paulo (Marcelo Stori Guerra), Rio Grande do Sul (Viviane Peixoto Hunter), Santa Catarina (Sergio Luíz Ferreira), Maranhão (Raphael Guará), Minas Gerais (Cláudio Motta) and Espírito Santo (Nino Serôdio), in Brazil; Quebec (Paula Ferreira), Ontario (Suzanne da Cunha) and Winnipeg (José Santos), in Canada; New England (Francisco Viveiros), Hilmar (George Costa) and Hawaii (Marlene Hapai), in the United States of America; Bermuda (Lúcia Botelho) and Uruguay (Alicia Quintana Díaz). 

The following members of the Azorean Diaspora Council, elected by Azoreans living abroad for the 2025–2029 term, have also contributed to this special edition: Richard Ambrósio, from Bermuda; Regis Gomes (Rio Grande do Sul), Marcos Borba (Rio de Janeiro), Marcos Pinheiro (Santa Catarina), António Arruda (São Paulo) and Vânia Silva (remaining States), from Brazil; Esmeralda Cabral (British Columbia), Paulo Cabral (Manitoba), Matthew Correia (Ontario) and Carlos de Almeida (remaining Provinces and Territories), from Canada; Zeto Carvalho (California), Danny de Melo (Massachusetts), David Pimentel and Katherine Soares (remaining States), from the United States of America; Rui Medeiros Silva (Mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Region of Madeira) and Tiago Domingues (rest of the world). 

This special edition is available in digital format, as Açorianidade Magazine No. 3, to be shared with the various communities within the Azorean diaspora. It will soon be available for consultation on the Regional Government Portal, on the Regional Directorate for the Communities page, under Publications – Regional Directorate for the Communities – Portal.   

The first two issues of the “Açorianidade” magazine, launched in 2025, were dedicated to the 1st Colloquium “Thinking about the Diaspora” and the Holy Spirit Global Forum. They are also available for consultation and download on the same portal. 

The “Açorianidade” magazine reiterates the Azorean Government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening ties between the Region and its communities, promoting the sharing of actions and initiatives that further deepen the archipelago's ties with its diaspora.