In Luanda, on Monday (19), senators Heráclito Fortes (DEM-PI), Marconi Perillo (PSDB-GO), José Nery (PSOL-PA) and João Pedro (PT-AM) defended the reduction of bureaucracy to the concession of working visas to Brazilian people who live in Angola, and a new flight between that country and Brazil. They met the vice-president of Angola’s National Assembly, deputy João Lourenço, and the members of the Committees on External Relations and Defense of the local parliament.

These meetings were in the agenda of the last day of the official mission of Brazilian senators to Africa. It began on May 10 and the senators went to Cape Verde, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and San Tome and Prince.

The senators arrived in Angola on Saturday (17) and, during the weekend, they visited several construction sites kept by Brazilian companies, such  as highways in duplication process, condominiums and public buildings.

On Sunday night the Brazilian embassy in Angola promoted a meeting between the senators and Brazilians that live in the country, so that they could talk about their demands. The increase of the number of flights, as well as the necessity of building Brazilian schools and facilitating the concession of visas in the country were the most common demands among Brazilians.

Currently, a local flying company flies three times a week to Brazil, but the planes are usually full, which means that they are not enough to attend the number of people who need this service. The bureaucracy in the concession of visas has been hindering the entrance of Brazilians who want to work in Angola. The Consulate of Brazil calculates that there are currently around 15 thousand Brazilians in Angola.

During the meeting with members of the Committee on External Relations, International Cooperation and Angolan Communities Abroad, presided by deputy Domingos Manuel Njinga, and with the parliamentarians of the Committee on National Defense, Safety and Internal Order, deputy Domingo Francisco Tula, the Brazilian senators praised Angola’s process of reconstruction. The country, independent of Portugal since 1975, faced a civil war during almost three decades, and it has been pacified since 2002.

- I praised the fact that Angolan people have been working in the infrastructure of their country, in the basic sanitation, in highways’ constructions. Many countries are investing here and we hope this is lasting - said senator Heráclito Fortes, president of the Committee on External Relations and National Defense of the Brazilian Senate.

The Brazilian senators explained the operation of the Brazilian political system. They also made suggestions to help solving Angola’s most serious problems. Marconi Perillo suggested to the Angolan deputies to sign an agreement with the network of hospitals Rede Sarah, that acts in Brazil rehabilitating people with problems in locomotor organs.

According to the senator, it could help the Angolan people who had parts of the body amputated by mines used during the civil war. Some partnerships with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Cooperation (Embrapa) and the Brazilian Service of Support to Micro and Small Companies (Sebrae) were suggested, aiming to improve the agricultural productivity and to motivate small Angolan companies.