Africa-Press – Cape verde. Boa Vista Island closes the year 2025 with a “shock of infrastructural investments,” consolidating itself as the second pillar of national tourism, in the year that Sal Rei held the title of Cape Verdean Youth Capital City.
In January 2025, Sal Rei held the title of Cape Verdean Youth Capital City, with the active participation of young people in the island’s decisions. In November, the National Youth Forum was transferred to Praia due to the tourist occupancy of the once peaceful island, but culminated in December with the signing of the contract for the construction of the athletics track in Sal Rei.
March’s program was diverse, encompassing theater, women’s issues, poetry, and also Carnival, which brought together associations to showcase the work done on the island.
In April, the Government announced funding of 682 million escudos for the sewage and water supply network, following demands from the local authority regarding the management of Tourism Funds and basic needs of the population.
In the same month, approximately 60 pilot whales beached themselves on the coast near the Riu Palace Hotel, succumbing despite rescue attempts by authorities and volunteers.
The decentralized festivities of the Municipality and Saint Isabel festivals, and the Boa Vista Investment Forum marked the month of May, the month in which the local authority presented the Coastal Redevelopment Plan, approved in June.
That month, local NGOs began campaigns to protect turtles, ending the season in October with 62,996 nests, raising awareness about beach safety and illegal tourism.
July was a month of celebration for the country’s 50th Anniversary of Independence, honoring the first President of the Republic, Aristides Pereira, with a statue symbolizing national liberation. The island also bid farewell to Saulo Soares, president of Académica da Boa Vista and an emblematic figure in football.
In August, the mayor, Cláudio Mendonça, cancelled the Praia d’Cruz Festival in solidarity with the victims of the storm in São Vicente, indicating that three million escudos from the budget would be allocated to aid. Farmers in the Northern Zone were also affected by material losses due to the rains.
In September, an urban planning controversy arose around the construction of a 7-story building in Sal Rei, generating discussions about its environmental impact.
This year saw the inauguration of the Reproductive Health Center, the Delegations of the General Directorate of Labor and the ICCA, the new headquarters of the INPS, the Caboque Square and Rabil Viewpoint, and the new turf at the Arsénio Ramos Stadium.
With the launch of the book “Bia de Lulucha – Férias no Algarve” (Bia de Lulucha – Holidays in the Algarve), Bianca da Rocha became the youngest writer in the country, Iolanda Brito won the Todo Mundo Canta Holanda (Everyone Sings Holland) competition, the President of the Republic announced Boa Vista as the venue for the V Ocean Conference in 2026, and EasyJet flights began.
As the year draws to a close, the Municipal Assembly approved a record budget of 1.75 billion escudos for 2026, the Government authorized a guarantee of 700 million escudos for the rehabilitation of national roads connecting Rabil to the North, and the inauguration of the Largo de Santa Isabel square was postponed to the beginning of 2026.
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