Freedom: The Power to Choose

Freedom and respect

Being free means having the power to make decisions about our own lives: what we wear, what we say, who we spend time with, where we go and what we do, while always respecting other people.

Without freedom, we cannot show who we are, express and debate our ideas, and that prevents us from moving forward.

Freedom under the Estado Novo regime

During the Estado Novo regime, women teachers were not allowed to marry without government permission, and married women could not leave the country without their husband's authorisation. People could be imprisoned for freely voicing their opinions; they were not allowed to gather in groups of more than three, wear the clothes they wanted or drink Coca-Cola. Nor did everyone have access to school, while journalists could not report all the information because texts containing information the government disliked were censored.

These are examples of situations in which there was not the freedom that exists today. I feel grateful to live in a time when I am free. I am free because, if I were not, I would not be writing this text in this way - simply giving my opinion.

Long live freedom!

Now it is your turn...

We would like to know what you are reading and what you think about a current issue of your choice! Send us your opinion piece or a book synopsis (up to 1,000 characters, including spaces) at [email protected]. Do not forget to send a photo!