In an unprecedented step, Portugal’s President Marcelos Rebelo de Sousa took Toronto’s and Canada’s Portuguese-speaking community by surprise today by extending warm and meaningful Easter greetings.

In an address from the Presidential Palace in Lisbon, the statesman affectionately known as “Marcelo” spoke of the traditional values which bind his compatriots around the globe, including in Toronto.

Undocumented Workers Committee Chair Manuel Alexandre received special Presidential recognition as a beacon in serving the values which build a better global community.

In turn, Alexandre expressed hope that the friendship between Marcelo and Italian President Mattarella would be reflected in the ongoing friendship between the communities in Toronto and Canada?