Aristides de Sousa Mendes, Jornalismo e Memória

After transcribing and translating the articles by the ONIX about Aristides de Sousa Mendes in Portuguese newspaper Diáro de Notícias of New Bedford, it is clear that  the pseudonym ONIX belonged to a professional journalist who knew 1940's Portugal well. 

The first article by ONIX was published in February 1946, during a period of tension with the opposition and with foreign correspondents and only a few days after the expulsion of the Reuters correspondent Douglas Brown.  Coincidence, or not? 

ONIX was clearly well connected in Portugal and had access to the case documents of the otherwise secret  Disciplinary Proceeding internal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (documents "on my desk", accusation and defense), though it is  not clear if he actually met Aristides de Sousa Mendes.  He does not mince words, using the words fascist and dictator numerous times, Censorhip with a capital C the way we remember seeing it written.  

Clearly the author ONIX was someone very close to the opposition in Portugal, taking a lot of personal risk in sending such a document abroad, "by plane". 

Since both the article about Sousa Mendes by Rabbi Chaim Kruger in  Der Tog (1941) and the articles by Onix in the Diário de Noticias, New Bedford (1946) where published ethnic community publications with relatively small readerships, it would be curious to see if their articles produced any ripples in other media.

Unfortunately a couple of articles made on dent on the harsh Censorship in force under Salazar.  

Only democracy and freedom of expression can set the historical narrative right. 

Truth will out! 

Mariana Abrantes, 2025