Africa-Press – Cape verde. PAICV President Francisco Carvalho today accused the government of presenting a “false and superficial State of the Nation” that fails to reflect the reality experienced by the Cape Verdean population. At a press conference, the opposition leader criticized the government’s intense activity on social media and in the media in the year leading up to the elections, classifying it as an attempt to erase years of delay with “projects, promises, and mockups.”
“After so many years of the MpD in power, it strikes me that, precisely now, in the year leading up to the elections, we see such intense activity from the party president, ministers, and the Prime Minister, as if it were possible to make up for all those years of delay in just a few months. And the way they have acted, blatantly appropriating our ideas, only confirms that we are on the right path,” stated Francisco Carvalho.
The PAICV leader considered it “disrespectful to the people” to present a State of the Nation that ignores the structural economic and social difficulties the population faces daily. “For the past eight months, the government has been presenting projects, promises, and models, while families live separated from their dreams and needs,” he added.
This will be the last State of the Nation of the current government, as legislative elections are expected to take place before July 2026. According to Francisco Carvalho, the balance of the MpD’s ten years in office is marked by failures in several areas: “There are not enough ships or planes, the islands are increasingly disconnected, tourism is not growing as it could, the economy is not progressing.”
During the conference, Francisco Carvalho highlighted worrying data about the country’s economic and social decline. According to the PAICV president, the number of jobs in the primary sector has fallen dramatically, from 41,253 in 2016 to just 15,092 in 2024—a reduction of 26,161 jobs, equivalent to a drop of approximately 63%. This figure exemplifies the “generalized regression” and the massive loss of young workers, also reflecting a profound distrust in the institutions of the Republic, he charged.
“This is the true State of the Nation: a generalized regression, a mass exodus of working youth, a profound distrust in the institutions of the Republic, and now even the persecution of journalists, who are a fundamental pillar of our democracy,” he warned.
Despite the negative outlook, the PAICV president sees this phase as an opportunity to turn the page. “We have clear and realistic proposals, based on studies and management experience, that prioritize savings on superfluous expenses to invest in concrete projects for the citizen.” Proposals include affordable inter-island transportation, free access to healthcare, higher education and vocational training, industrialization of the rural sector, job creation, and the effective involvement of the diaspora in the country’s development.
When asked about the alleged persecution of journalists, Francisco Carvalho described the phenomenon as a “dangerous trend” that undermines democracy and advocated for the creation of a national institution to provide free protection for citizens who feel threatened while exercising their freedom of expression.
Regarding “digital militias,” the PAICV leader denied that his party had made such accusations against the MpD and emphasized the urgent need to regulate the use of social media to ensure accountability and combat fake profiles used for insults and defamation.
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