Africa-Press – Cape verde. dos Reis Tavares, affectionately known as Toco, passed away on Friday afternoon at the age of 93 in Portugal, where he was undergoing treatment.
Toco, who stood out as a freedom fighter for his country, was born in 1940 and played a fundamental role in the fight for Cape Verde’s independence.
At just 17 years old, Fernando Tavares embraced the cause of national liberation and was imprisoned in the former Tarrafal Concentration Camp between 1968 and 1971, where he suffered the harsh conditions of the colonial regime.
The President of the Republic of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, expressed his condolences in a Facebook post, highlighting the significant impact that Toco had on the country’s history.
Neves recalled the moment when Toco was arrested by the PIDE and his store, located in Cutelo de Assomada, was closed.
“I remember hearing about him for the first time when he was arrested by the PIDE in the Tarrafal Concentration Camp and his shop in Cutelo de Assomada was closed,” he wrote, adding that Toco was released before the 25th of April and that for the children at that time, he was “a terrorist who committed the folly of defying Salazar.”
Neves also shared personal memories, revealing that, after returning to Santa Catarina in 1979, he became close friends with Toco, describing him as someone who gave his youth to the cause of Cape Verde’s independence.
The Santa Catarina City Council also paid tribute to the “illustrious fighter,” deeply regretting his loss. On its Facebook page, the Council highlighted Toco as “a courageous fighter for the Freedom of the Homeland and a good man.”
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