On May 1, International Workers’ Day, I reflect on the power imbalances and the labor struggles that, in Portugal, are the response to profound changes in legislation that will strip away rights gained since May 1, 1974. The right wing in Portugal, in a neoliberal frenzy, refuses to negotiate with the largest Portuguese union, the CGTP (General Confederation of Portuguese Workers), and is moving, full steam ahead, to implement reforms aimed at eroding workers’ rights and liberalizing the labor market.

Gradually, we see the promises of April becoming distant mirages, and this process is intentional; it is also revealed in the contempt that our regional and local leaders show for the very celebrations of April 25th.

From the island of São Miguel, in the middle of the Atlantic, far from the centers of power, I speak to you of April, of the foundational day of our freedom, of the mother-day of our democracy that remains a work in progress, of April 25, 1974, which we commemorate every year with red carnations, songs, and a certain dignified formality because of the significance these celebrations hold for the Portuguese people, for the institutions that define us as a democratic republic, and for the ideal of the nation we aspire to be.

I speak to you of the freedom that grants me the right to express my opinion without fear of reprisals, imprisonment, torture, or disappearance at the hands of the PIDE. I speak to you of representative democracy, for you—ladies, gentlemen, and gender-fluid individuals—who hold political office by popular will represent all residents of the Azores or of the municipalities, not just those who voted for you. You are all my representatives, and in your capacity as representatives of the people, I ask you: why do so many of you shy away from attending the popular celebrations on April 25th?

In certain municipalities, the people have the pleasure and honor of seeing their local representatives in formal duties and then mingling with the people and sharing in the common joy. I know that some political figures celebrated the April 25th festivities among the people, and I also know that others, if they were present, would wear green carnations, confused as to their meaning. However, we are missing our representatives in the highest offices, who are in the habit of shielding themselves from the crowds and confining themselves to formal ceremonies.

Therefore, I earnestly ask you that, in the future, you be there with us, the people of our land, for the April 25th festivities represent what is most important in our unfinished democracy, an ongoing process to which we are committed: the reminder that peace, bread, housing, health, education, and a good life are what we desire in freedom for ourselves and for the future.

Avelina da Silveira is a poet, novelist, essayist, translator, editor, and cultural and political activist.