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Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades
Message from the Government of the Azores on World Radio Day
Message from the Government of the Azores on World Radio Day
Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades
Azores-Madeira Conference marks “50 Years of Autonomy in the Communities”
Azores-Madeira Conference marks “50 Years of Autonomy in the Communities”
Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades
“I Love Azores” contest strengthens ties between young people of Azorean descent and Region
“I Love Azores” contest strengthens ties between young people of Azorean descent and Region
February 13, 2026
Message from the Government of the Azores on World Radio Day
February 11, 2026
Azores-Madeira Conference marks “50 Years of Autonomy in the Communities”
January 30, 2026
“I Love Azores” contest strengthens ties between young people of Azorean descent and Region
News
Nota de Imprensa
February 13, 2026
Message from the Government of the Azores on World Radio Day
On World Radio Day, celebrated on February 13, it is important to reflect on the irreplaceable role of this media outlet, which continues to challenge the dominance of television and the ephemeral nature of social media, decade after decade. For the Azorean people, radio is not just a source of entertainment or information—it is a pillar of territorial cohesion and a fundamental element of our collective security. We often forget how vulnerable modern technology is until the unexpected happens. The most recent and striking example is still fresh in everyone's memory: the great blackout of 28 April 2025. On that day, a general failure in the Iberian Peninsula's electricity grid left Portugal in darkness, silencing screens and paralysing the digital world. In that moment of crisis, when the lights went out and technological silence prevailed, radio did not fail us. It was through the airwaves, in close coordination with Civil Protection, that vital information continued to flow. With just a pair of batteries and a radio, the voice of media professionals reached places where fibre optics could not. This incident reminded us that radio is the most resilient medium we have - our last and most reliable line of defence. Within the scope of the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, radio is central to our priorities, serving as a hub that brings together the various aspects of our governance. In the media, we remain deeply committed to supporting local and regional bodies, recognising that the proximity of radio is the best antidote to the information vacuum and the isolation of certain localities. This proximity also extends to our communities in the diaspora, for whom radio was - and continues to be - the lifeline connecting them to the pulse of the islands, overcoming the Atlantic distance through sound. At the same time, it is through the airwaves that democracy becomes audible in the context of Parliamentary Affairs, bringing political debate and legislative decisions to every home, from Santa Maria to Corvo, ensuring that the voice of the Parliament reaches all citizens. In a region that is now at the forefront of the space and aerospace technology sector, we must never forget that the basis of all satellite communication and exploration of the universe lies precisely in the science of radio frequencies that we are celebrating today. Radio is, therefore, the past, present and future of our connectivity. Celebrating radio in the Azores is celebrating our own resilience. As a Government, we reiterate our commitment to valuing professionals in the sector and modernising the infrastructure that allows this media outlet to continue to be the faithful companion of those who work at sea, those who live in our most remote areas, and those in the diaspora who keep alive their connection to their Azorean homeland. Radio is evidence that, even in the age of images, the spoken word retains its unwavering power. When everything else falls silent, radio remains. Paulo Estêvão Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities
February 13, 2026
Message from the Government of the Azores on World Radio Day
On World Radio Day, celebrated on February 13, it is important to reflect on the irreplaceable role of this media outlet, which continues to challenge the dominance of television and the ephemeral nature of social media, decade after decade. For the Azorean people, radio is not just a source of entertainment or information—it is a pillar of territorial cohesion and a fundamental element of our collective security. We often forget how vulnerable modern technology is until the unexpected happens. The most recent and striking example is still fresh in everyone's memory: the great blackout of 28 April 2025. On that day, a general failure in the Iberian Peninsula's electricity grid left Portugal in darkness, silencing screens and paralysing the digital world. In that moment of crisis, when the lights went out and technological silence prevailed, radio did not fail us. It was through the airwaves, in close coordination with Civil Protection, that vital information continued to flow. With just a pair of batteries and a radio, the voice of media professionals reached places where fibre optics could not. This incident reminded us that radio is the most resilient medium we have - our last and most reliable line of defence. Within the scope of the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, radio is central to our priorities, serving as a hub that brings together the various aspects of our governance. In the media, we remain deeply committed to supporting local and regional bodies, recognising that the proximity of radio is the best antidote to the information vacuum and the isolation of certain localities. This proximity also extends to our communities in the diaspora, for whom radio was - and continues to be - the lifeline connecting them to the pulse of the islands, overcoming the Atlantic distance through sound. At the same time, it is through the airwaves that democracy becomes audible in the context of Parliamentary Affairs, bringing political debate and legislative decisions to every home, from Santa Maria to Corvo, ensuring that the voice of the Parliament reaches all citizens. In a region that is now at the forefront of the space and aerospace technology sector, we must never forget that the basis of all satellite communication and exploration of the universe lies precisely in the science of radio frequencies that we are celebrating today. Radio is, therefore, the past, present and future of our connectivity. Celebrating radio in the Azores is celebrating our own resilience. As a Government, we reiterate our commitment to valuing professionals in the sector and modernising the infrastructure that allows this media outlet to continue to be the faithful companion of those who work at sea, those who live in our most remote areas, and those in the diaspora who keep alive their connection to their Azorean homeland. Radio is evidence that, even in the age of images, the spoken word retains its unwavering power. When everything else falls silent, radio remains. Paulo Estêvão Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities
Nota de Imprensa
February 11, 2026
Azores-Madeira Conference marks “50 Years of Autonomy in the Communities”
The Regional Directorates of the Governments of the Azores and Madeira are promoting the Azores-Madeira Conference – “50 Years of Autonomy in the Communities” – during February in Ponta Delgada and Funchal. Former regional presidents João Bosco Mota Amaral and Alberto João Jardim are among the guest speakers at this conference, which will be closed by the President of the Azorean Government, José Manuel Bolieiro. The first session, commemorating half a century of institutional relations between the regional governments and their respective diasporas, will take place next Thursday, February 19, at the Auditorium of the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive, with free admission for the general public. The conference begins at 6 p.m., with speeches by José Andrade, Regional Director for the Communities of the Government of the Azores, and Sancho Gomes, Regional Director for Communities and External Cooperation of the Government of Madeira. The first panel discussion will take place at 6:15 p.m., featuring the president of the board of the House of the Azores of Madeira, Carlos Madruga da Costa, and the president of the general assembly of the House of Madeira of the Azores, Duarte Nuno Chaves. It will be moderated by Francisco Viveiros, president of the House of the Azores of New England. The second panel, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., will feature former government officials responsible for the Communities area in the Governments of the Azores and Madeira, Duarte Mendes and João Carlos Abreu, and will be moderated by Sancho Gomes. The third and final panel will take place at 7 p.m., bringing together the former presidents of the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira, João Bosco Mota Amaral and Alberto João Jardim, under the moderation of José Andrade. The closing of the Conference, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., will be attended by the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, and the President of the Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro. The initiative is part of the celebrations marking 50 years of political autonomy for the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira, promoting joint reflection on the role of their communities in promoting regional identity, strengthening institutional cooperation and developing the regions over the last five decades. The conference is jointly organised by the Regional Directorate for the Communities of the Government of the Azores and the Regional Directorate for Communities and External Cooperation of the Government of Madeira. The second session of this conference, celebrating 50 years of autonomy in the communities, will be held in the Autonomous Region of Madeira on February 26 at the Casa da Luz museum auditorium in Funchal.
February 11, 2026
Azores-Madeira Conference marks “50 Years of Autonomy in the Communities”
The Regional Directorates of the Governments of the Azores and Madeira are promoting the Azores-Madeira Conference – “50 Years of Autonomy in the Communities” – during February in Ponta Delgada and Funchal. Former regional presidents João Bosco Mota Amaral and Alberto João Jardim are among the guest speakers at this conference, which will be closed by the President of the Azorean Government, José Manuel Bolieiro. The first session, commemorating half a century of institutional relations between the regional governments and their respective diasporas, will take place next Thursday, February 19, at the Auditorium of the Ponta Delgada Public Library and Regional Archive, with free admission for the general public. The conference begins at 6 p.m., with speeches by José Andrade, Regional Director for the Communities of the Government of the Azores, and Sancho Gomes, Regional Director for Communities and External Cooperation of the Government of Madeira. The first panel discussion will take place at 6:15 p.m., featuring the president of the board of the House of the Azores of Madeira, Carlos Madruga da Costa, and the president of the general assembly of the House of Madeira of the Azores, Duarte Nuno Chaves. It will be moderated by Francisco Viveiros, president of the House of the Azores of New England. The second panel, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., will feature former government officials responsible for the Communities area in the Governments of the Azores and Madeira, Duarte Mendes and João Carlos Abreu, and will be moderated by Sancho Gomes. The third and final panel will take place at 7 p.m., bringing together the former presidents of the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira, João Bosco Mota Amaral and Alberto João Jardim, under the moderation of José Andrade. The closing of the Conference, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., will be attended by the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, and the President of the Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro. The initiative is part of the celebrations marking 50 years of political autonomy for the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira, promoting joint reflection on the role of their communities in promoting regional identity, strengthening institutional cooperation and developing the regions over the last five decades. The conference is jointly organised by the Regional Directorate for the Communities of the Government of the Azores and the Regional Directorate for Communities and External Cooperation of the Government of Madeira. The second session of this conference, celebrating 50 years of autonomy in the communities, will be held in the Autonomous Region of Madeira on February 26 at the Casa da Luz museum auditorium in Funchal.