We have already lost count of the potential for cooperation between the Azores and external entities that are looking for us or that we are looking for. The areas are identified, and we realize that the potential is immense – but in the end, everything remains in the so-called cod waters. Or, worse still, we end up handing over areas that are vital to our development to the first foul-mouthed animal that comes along. And instead of making money out of it, which would be so useful to the people of the Azores, we end up paying such people. This is a case study that someone will one day look at with incredulous eyes. We have no doubt about that.
What motivates us to write this is the recent visit to the Azores by the Japanese ambassador in Lisbon. He opened the doors to areas of cooperation that seem to be of the utmost interest, particularly collaboration in the area of volcanology, which can be so important for the advancement of knowledge in a region like ours where persistent volcanic and seismic phenomena (we are experiencing such a crisis in Terceira) coexist with the beauty that God has decided to bestow on these islands. Openness in the areas of science and technology in general should be seen as something exceptional coming from a country such as Japan, where development took place in these two areas, especially after World War II. Japan’s leadership in several of these areas is well recognized today.
Japan is a country in the so-called wider West and so we don’t see that any of the powers that control us could pose a problem for cooperation with the Japanese – quite the opposite. In fact, and let’s make this very clear, it seems very illegitimate to us that we should have problems cooperating with anyone based on interests that may give bread to someone, but don’t give bread to the Azoreans. Not to go any further back, we’ve been doing this “dance” since the British control that lasted 150 years until World War II and then we passed the buck to the US/NATO and history hasn’t changed. If only we were compensated for lost opportunities… But, not even that. Lisbon leaves us in the lurch and in the Azores we have so far lacked the ingenuity and artistry to counteract these dynamics which, incidentally, justify a substantial part of the poverty that plagues us.
Perhaps the time has come to explain to Portugal and the world that the potential we have must be put to good use for the people of the Azores. Because if we don’t, we’ll never get out of the rut, and, in the end, it will always be our fault. It will always be our policies and our people who are no good. The truth is of little interest…

From the Diário Insular editorial board, published on August 6th, 2024. Translated by Diniz Borges

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from various leading thinkers and writers from the Azores to give the diaspora and those interested in the current Azores a sense of the major opinions on some of the archipelago’s issues.