The Portuguese from São Tomé, António Cádio Paraíso and the Portuguese Angolan, Daniel Mendes, are among the new members of the local government elected this Sunday in Portugal, in the new local authorities.

Cadio Paraíso ran for the parish council of Benfica in Lisbon and Daniel Mendes for the parish of Venteira in Amadora.

They are the only African citizens elected as deputies in parish associations. Both ran for the PS list, the Portuguese Socialist party.

Antônio Cadio Paraíso will force a four-year term to invest in associativism as president of ACOSP, the São Toméan Citizens’ Association in Portugal.

“Our premise is to create the home of associations in Benfica to build a parish with a diversity of cultures in Lisbon”, said Paraíso.

For his part, Daniel Mendes, born in Angola, elected in Freguesia da Venteira, in the council of Amadora, promises to contribute to greater integration of citizens from Portuguese-speaking African countries.

“I am satisfied and I know that I will be a key player in bringing ideas to meet the needs of potential Africans living in Amadora,” said Mendes.

The Portuguese Guinean, Beatriz Gomes Dias, from the Left Block also stood out as she was elected councilor of the Lisbon City Council, won by the social democrat Carlos Moedas, whose direct opponent was the outgoing president, Fernando Medina, of the PS .

In this Sunday’s municipal changes in Portugal, the socialist party was the political force that conquered the most parishes and municipal councils. Of the 308 city councils in dispute, it won 148, but lost the city council of Lisbon, the largest city in the country.