Porto fans celebrate FC Porto branch 43's 26th anniversary in Venezuela | OneFootball

On Wednesday, in a setting marked above all by blue and white, surrounded by trophies and photographs of the teams that, over the years, have passed through FC Porto, the memories of the four Portuguese men — Alvarinho Moreira, Camilo Oliveira, Joaquim Rocha and Manuel Oliveira — who, six years before the inauguration, joined forces to create that branch were recalled.

The young people of Portuguese descent were urged to defend and preserve their parents’ legacy.

“We are here to celebrate the 26th anniversary, to proudly remember what happened in 1994, when four FC Porto supporters got together and decided that it was well worth having the club’s official representation here in Venezuela,” one of the founders told Lusa.

Alvarinho Moreira, former president of the CDPV, also said that during the meeting, the four supporters decided to move forward and “have an emblem on the building’s facade representing the great Portuguese club.”

“We had the will and the courage to found a non-profit civil association with the main goal of keeping our traditions, practices and customs alive, and instilling them in our children, so that they would feel proud to be of Portuguese descent and be aware that, as children of Portuguese parents, they hold an enormous calling card in their hands that will allow them to be welcomed with open arms in any corner of the world,” he said.

Moreira also added that “it was worth embarking on the adventure, which turned into a wonderful dream come true,” and that, 26 years later, it continues to be a reason for the Portuguese to “remain together, united, working, in a little place that is a reference point for the Portuguese community.”

“We decided to inaugurate this house on May 1 because Our Lady of Fátima is our patron saint, the travelling companion who accompanies us throughout life and helps us overcome difficulties and adversity,” he explained.

As for the changes over the years, and with some nostalgia, Moreira stressed that the Portuguese community is aging and that the younger people have emigrated to other destinations in search of better living conditions.

“Many [FC Porto supporters] have already passed away and some have returned to Portugal for good. As the years go by, it becomes harder every day to bring together Portuguese FC Porto supporters,” he stressed.

Moreira recalled that the history of the CDPV had two landmark moments, beginning with the visit of the club president Pinto da Costa (1982-2024) to Venezuela on July 20, 2013, when more than a thousand people flocked to the grand hall of the Portuguese Center.

The following year, in the Presidential Box at the Dragão Stadium, the then Portuguese representative in Caracas, Mário Alberto Lino da Silva, described Casa do Porto as “a second embassy of Portugal in Venezuela,” in the presence of Pinto da Costa.

To those of Portuguese descent, Alvarinho Moreira asked that they keep alive their parents’ fighting spirit, preserving the legacy and the path built by the Portuguese who emigrated to Venezuela in search of a better life.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.