Lisbon, Aug. 19, 2025 (Lusa) - The Association of Professional Women in Media in Guinea-Bissau (AMPROCS) issued a statement on Tuesday affirming its support for Portuguese media outlets and urging the Guinean government to reconsider its measure to expel them.

In the document, AMPROCS expresses “its firm support for the presence of the Lusa, RDP and RTP agencies and for the Portuguese professionals working there, urging the government of Guinea-Bissau to reconsider its decision to close their delegations.”

On 15 August, the government of Guinea-Bissau decided to suspend the delegations of the three Portuguese public bodies with immediate effect and gave their representatives until today, 19 August, to leave the country, without giving any reasons.

The measure coincided with the moment when all the representatives of these media outlets were already on holiday in Portugal.

“We reiterate our solidarity with the journalists concerned and call on the government to urgently reconsider its position, allowing these professionals to continue to carry out their noble mission of informing and serving the Guinean people,” the AMPROCS statement said.

The Guinean association considers that “this measure highlights the importance of protecting freedom of the press and freedom of expression, fundamental principles of any democratic state governed by the rule of law, and presents an opportunity to strengthen Guinea-Bissau’s international image”.

AMPROCS stressed that “such a decision can promote the strengthening of democracy and social and political stability in the country.”

“Conversely, it can be seen as a form of psychological support and encouragement for the professionals involved, reinforcing the Guinean population’s right to free, plural, and independent information,” reads the statement.

Portugal's foreign minister, Paulo Rangel, met on Monday in Lisbon with his Guinean counterpart, Carlos Pinto Pereira, expressing his hope that the situation “can be overcome”.

VM/ADB // ADB. 

Lusa