Praia: Cape Verdeans marked, in the morning of Saturday (5), the day of National Independence with a special solemn session in the auditorium of the National Assembly, in the city of Praia. Under the watchful eye of the President of the Republic, Jos© Maria Neves, and distinguished national and foreign personalities invited, including the president of the Angolan National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, the event opened with a cultural moment portraying the various facets of the country.
According to Angola Press News Agency, during his speech, the President of Cabo Verde, Jos© Maria Neves, highlighted the resilient spirit of Cape Verdeans who have done everything to keep the ideals of independence alive. Jos© Maria Neves mentioned the fact that in the 5 centuries of independence the country has achieved remarkable successes in the most varied domains, noting that the resilience of the Nation is also based on the action of the diaspora located in the four corners of the world and that it has made an invaluable contribution to the development of Cape Verde.
The Head of State also highlighted the partnerships with several countries and international organizations as factors that have contributed significantly to the country development and achievements. According to Jos© Maria Neves, the future of the country is in the hands of the youth, whose mission is to continue to transform it in the most varied domains.
For his part, the president of the Cape Verdean National Assembly, Austelino Tavares Correia, took the opportunity to recall that independence is a gift of the people achievement, highlighting the compatriots who gave their best for the achievement of a free and independent country. He called for the mobilization of all to strengthen national unity, as well as the defense of the ideals of the precursors of National Independence, also highlighting the gains achieved over the 50 years of freedom, with regard to the well-being of Cape Verdeans.
Political parties with seats in Parliament converged on the need to improve the living conditions of citizens, with the promotion of more equality, social inclusion, the fight against corruption, the speed and impartiality of justice. Winking at the youth, the president of the Cape Verdean Independent and Democratic Union (UCID) party, Joo Santos Lus, stressed that it is up to the youth to renew the dream of better days, and the State must create the necessary conditions, with emphasis on access to quality education and the first job to ensure that no young person is forced to emigrate.
“The distancing of young people from politics and the threats of populist discourses require more dialogue, more bridge-building, speed and impartiality of justice, the fight against corruption, social inequalities, gender inclusion”, said the politician. According to the party official, the future of Cape Verde is in the hands of all citizens. “Cape Verde will be what we are able to build together”, he stressed.
The program of the central act of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Cabo Verde independence also includes a mass of thanksgiving, the laying of a wreath at the Amlcar Cabral Memorial. In the afternoon, cultural activities are scheduled at the Plateau, including musical performances, dance sessions, open-air cinema sessions, traditional fashion shows and exhibitions.
Cabo Verde independence was a fundamental milestone in the country history and took place on July 5, 1975, after centuries of Portuguese colonization. The archipelago, discovered by Portuguese navigators in the fifteenth century, was for a long time a strategic stopover in the Atlantic Ocean, especially for the slave trade and maritime trade. Over the centuries, the Cape Verdean population has faced difficulties such as drought, hunger and lack of investment by the colonial government. The struggle for independence gained strength in the twentieth century, especially with the foundation of the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde), in 1956, by Amlcar Cabral, one of the greatest leaders of the anti-colonial struggle in Africa.