July 5th, 1975. Cabo Verde lowered the Portuguese flag to raise the flag of a new independent country that knew how to build its future.
From the very beginning, it prioritized education like no other African nation managed to do. Though the archipelago has limited natural resources, fifty years after independence, Cabo Verde’s greatest wealth lies in its people. It is they who celebrate today—on the islands and across the diaspora—this very special day that I too feel as my own.
And it wasn’t only the younger generations who benefited from the sustained investment that has made all the difference in what Cabo Verde is today. The efforts that began in 1975 to eradicate illiteracy achieved extraordinary and unique results on the continent. The same applies to public education. Later came higher education. Investments have also been made in healthcare, infrastructure, and many other key sectors, in a continuous path of development recognized by all as exemplary.
A TURNING POINT THAT OPENED THE FUTURE
Until the end of the first half of the last century, the archipelago suffered cyclic droughts—some prolonged—that led to dramatic famines. In the second half of the 18th century, one such famine wiped out about one-third of the population. It was only in the 1960s that the colonial state, under international pressure, managed to put an end to these deadly episodes through the Drought Season Supply Plan, which assisted the most vulnerable populations affected by the scourge.
A decade later, Cabo Verde took control of its own path. At that time, Cabral’s vision foresaw the building of one nation from two countries: Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. But it was short-lived: in 1980, following the coup d’état led by Nino Vieira in Guinea-Bissau, the post-independence project envisioned by Amílcar Cabral came to an end. The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde (PAIGC) split a year later into two distinct parties, with the creation of PAICV – the African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde.
The pragmatism of the early post-independence years was not always well understood internationally.
Let me recall just two examples:
International aid donated by foreign institutions was managed by a public supply company – EMPA – which, instead of perpetuating a culture of dependency, sold essential goods like flour, rice, and sugar, using the proceeds to fund what was then known as Public Development Aid.
The international community warned that donations were not to be commercialized, and the Cape Verdean authorities demonstrated how the aid revenue was being used. One well-known example was the FAIMO – High Intensity Labor Fronts. During critical periods, vulnerable populations affected by drought were mobilized to work on public works. Road construction, dikes, erosion control—these were some of the activities, and workers were paid through the funds raised from the sale of donated goods managed by EMPA.
A few years later, the initial skepticism turned into recognition that this model of coordinating international donations with public development aid was a successful example that could inspire other nations.
The country knew that opening up to the outside world was essential to overcoming internal development constraints, due both to resource scarcity and the island geography. Nation-building was underway, and enormous challenges lay ahead.
Another example of this pragmatism was the decision to allow South African Airways (SAA) to use Sal Airport during the apartheid regime. In fact, South Africans had already been using the airport during colonial times. But under the international embargo—particularly in the intensified climate of the 1980s—this was the only viable layover point for connections to Europe and the United States. The high financial compensation received from this arrangement was the result of negotiations between Cabo Verde and South Africa.
CONGRATULATIONS, CABO VERDE!
In 1990, the one-party regime came to an end. A year later, Cape Verde embraced democracy with the first multiparty elections, won by MPD, the Movement for Democracy, thus ending 15 years of PAICV governance.
Despite all the challenges, problems, and adversities experienced along the way, it’s undeniable that Cabo Verde has undergone a transformation, one that reflects the growth and maturity of the nation. Those who visit the islands regularly—as I do, having first landed there in 1980 and lived and studied there five years later—can’t help but be amazed at the changes over time. It’s remarkable!
What a privilege it was for me to grow up in this country. And, above all, to return time and again to visit my friends and a land I will always consider my own.
Cabo Verde’s example might seem improbable. But in today’s world, it proves how the careful application of resources can have a profound and lasting impact on future generations. It truly makes all the difference.
Congratulations, Cabo Verde!!!
Sabura!!!!!
A LAND OF ARTISTS
In the documentary Mais Alma (More Soul), a Catarina Alves Costa confronts us, right at the beginning, with the common perception that, and I quote:
In Cabo Verde, the word artist doesn’t exist.
By the end of the film, I realized that, in fact, every Cape Verdean is an artist…