Africa-Press – Cape verde. The National Police (PN) already has a special security plan in place for the São Filipe Municipality and Flag Day celebrations and for the legislative elections on May 17th.
Regional Commander Luís Barros stated today at a press conference that the 2026 São Filipe Municipality and Flag Day celebrations will take place under “a strong security scheme,” prepared to respond to an atypical context, since the closing of the festivities coincides with the start of the election campaigns.
According to him, the PN already has an action plan in place for the celebrations, which began on April 18th and will run until May 2nd. Immediately after the festivities end, the operational plan for the May 17th legislative elections will be automatically activated to continue guaranteeing security.
The Municipality and Flag Day celebrations, in honor of São Filipe, annually attract thousands of people from various parts of the country and the diaspora.
This year, the movement began in early April, “with a large circulation of people and vehicles,” which, according to Luís Barros, increases the risk of accidents, infractions, and criminal occurrences.
To respond to this scenario, the regional command is mobilizing a total of 66 personnel, including officers, sub-chiefs, and personnel from various divisions, including public order, tax and maritime sections, and foreign and border services.
The deployment will also be reinforced with 12 members of the Intervention Corps, who will arrive on the island on the 25th and remain until the end of the festivities.
The PN’s plan foresees the strategic placement of personnel at points considered critical, especially at the entrance to the festival area, where a reinforced team will be installed to organize the flow of people and prevent risky behavior.
Inside the prison, the central stage for cultural activities, police action will prioritize proximity, focusing on dialogue and prevention, resorting to force only as a last resort, according to the regional commander of the PN.
The commander also highlighted the reinforcement of the vehicle fleet and the mobilization of resources from all police stations on Fogo Island, involving the three municipalities, in a joint operation aimed at ensuring a safe and peaceful celebration.
At the same time, the Regional Command’s force was recently reinforced with 11 new officers, already integrated into different sub-units, who will support both the festivities and the elections.
During the election campaigns, the National Police, according to Commander Luís Barros, will act “with total neutrality, impartiality, and non-partisanship,” maintaining its exclusive focus on preserving public order and the safety of citizens.
For More News And Analysis About Cape verde Follow Africa-Press
