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Article: Portugal's crisis. (Ronald Reagan's comments about the future of Portugal when he visited the country)
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- June 28, 1985
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1985 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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PRESIDENT REAGAN, a gracious guest, spoke optimistically about the future of Portugal when he visited the country on the last leg of his European journey. But the small country on the Iberian peninsula faces great difficulties that won't disappear when it joins the European Common Market next year. There is better fighting between political parties, large-scale corruption, and serious economic stagnation. Portugal, which can boast a glorious past, faces a perilous future.
To many in the Western world, Portugal seems a minor annex of Spain. But 450 years ago Portugal controlled the coasts of Africa, a good part of India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Portuguese ...