Africa-Press – Cape verde. The PAICV in São Vicente today criticized the choice of April 25 as the date for the official opening of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde’s independence, despite the fact that the party, together with other political forces with seats in parliament, is part of the National Organizing Committee for the Celebrations that approved the program.
At a press conference held this morning, the president of the PAICV Regional Political Committee, Adilson Graça Jesus, considered that other national dates could have been chosen for the official start of the activities, which began last week on the island of Porto Grande.
“We need to understand that April 25th is our date. But we have national dates, we have January 13th, we have January 20th. As they were being held in São Vicente, we had January 22nd, we had April 14th. Why April 25th? That is what Cape Verdeans need to ask. April 25th is part of this independence process, but why start it exactly on the most important day of the country that was the colonizer? We have to know how to read between the lines. There are marks here that we cannot ignore”, he understands.
The political leader believes that it is not normal that, when celebrating April 25th under the guise of independence festivities, it was forgotten that a large part of the world was in mourning, due to the death of Pope Francis. Adilson Graça finds it strange that “none of the Cape Verdean protagonists, still alive, people who led the fight for independence, were invited to the official ceremony”.
“We cannot believe that they forgot to invite Commander Pedro Pires, Silvino da Luz, Luís Fonseca, Olívio Pires and all the freedom fighters of the country, through the Association that represents them, to the official opening of these celebrations. It was indeed a deliberate and conscious act. It was indeed a vain attempt to rewrite history and to make the names of the Cape Verdean protagonists linked to national independence be forgotten. Leaving these living protagonists out of this celebration is an affront and a national shame”, he considers.
The party leader goes further and considers it “scandalous” that the Prime Minister and the Mayor of São Vicente did not mention the national liberation struggle and Amílcar Cabral in the speeches.
“We consider it scandalous, to say the least, that in the official speeches given by the Prime Minister and the President of the CMSV, two high-ranking figures of the State of Cape Verde, there was no mention of the national liberation struggle or Amílcar Cabral. Cabral is celebrated all over the world and here we insist on wanting to kill him every time, that by imposition, force and greatness of his deeds we should celebrate and applaud this central figure in Cape Verdean history. If the Portuguese Ambassador had not saved the day, this event would only serve to celebrate the 25th of April”, he states.
The celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde’s independence were officially opened on 25th April, in the city of Mindelo, in a ceremony presided over by the Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva.
Under the motto “Cape Verde, our pride, our future”, the celebrations will continue until December.
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