Brava/Retrospective: The visit of two Presidents of the Republic in 2019 was an unprecedented fact in the history of the island

This year, Brava Island hosted various activities of a social, political and cultural nature, among others, but it was marked by the visit of Jorge Carlos Fonseca and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

The island thus experienced an unprecedented moment, in political terms and covering all areas, when it received the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, accompanied by his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, even if for a few hours.

But it was an event that caught the attention of all the locals, who gathered at the Furna quay and at Eugénio Tavares Square for the reception.

The two presidents spent about five hours on the island, where they visited several locations, as the visit was mainly to get to know Brava and demonstrate a little of what it has to offer and the cultural gastronomy of the island.

A visit that, at the end of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, made it clear his desire to return but for vacation.

However, the year was one of many surprises, mainly at a social level, with the beginning of the year marked by the disappearance of two brothers, with only one body rescued to date, but at the end of the year, another individual disappeared at sea.

In this sector, the death of a pregnant woman during the process of transferring her from the Brava Health Department to the Regional Hospital of Fogo was also highlighted, but who ended up dying halfway there.

Around what happened, a demonstration was organized, in which, at the time, the spokesman, António de Pina, explained that the reason that led the people of Brave to go out into the street, after more than a decade, was due to the due to the various circumstances that the island was experiencing, hence the call to the Government's attention in the face of this situation.

Still at the demonstration, mayor Francisco Tavares, in addition to participating in the march, said he "supported 100%" with the claims of the people of Brave since they owned "all the property".

2019 was a year of transformation for the town of Furna, with the construction of the pedestrian street, and for Lomba Tantum, with the laying of streets, lighting for the path and the fishermen's house, culminating in the socioeconomic diagnosis of the town, within the scope of the implementation of the impact project of the Plataforma 20/30 programme.

In the areas of health and cooperation, Ilha Brava received some medical missions, namely from St. Paul Medical Services and the “Project Health for Cape Verde” (PHCV) and saw the radiology service operating, something that already had more than three years inactive.

Also in the area of health, the 2nd march and screening took place, in which the Cape Verdean Association of Fight Against Cancer (ACLCC) was satisfied with the level of participation of men and women in the cancer screening campaign and in the 2nd “November Azul” march on Brava Island.

Cornélia Miranda Pereira, responsible for the ACLCC, was “satisfied” with the number of participants, which, according to her, “exceeded” the expectations of the association on the island, “mainly” with the presence of men in the screenings.

The head of European Union (EU) Cooperation in Cape Verde, José Roman Leon Lora, visited the island for three days, with the aim of discovering its potential and at the end of the visit, he guaranteed that the island will continue to have the support of the European Union in the various sectors, because, “it still needs it”.

In the cultural area, the island excelled in hosting the June festivities, with all the surrounding cultural rituals, but it was also marked by the holding of the Culture Week and participation in the “Serenata Cabo Verde”, as well as the “transformation” of the ornamentation of the square Eugénio Tavares during the Christmas season, a new event for the island, in addition to holding a “solidarity” white night.

In the economic context, young people, women and the population in general had at their disposal several training offers, with a view to encouraging and qualifying the target public that participated in matters of entrepreneurship and self-employment, actions carried out by the Employment Network and Employability of Brava and other institutions.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Olavo Correia, was on the island to present the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development (PEDS) 2017/2021, met with young people, to whom he presented “various opportunities” for investment.

In the environmental area, special mention should be made of the projects carried out by the Biflores association, in terms of raising awareness of environmental preservation and endemic plants, among other species.

Also in this sector, the island learned about its waste plan and the Detailed Risk Assessment project.

Meanwhile, the island was also marked by the visit of the Minister of Tourism and Transport and Maritime Economy, José Gonçalves, to the Rombos islets, accompanied by various entities, including members of the Vitó project and the Biflores association.

In the sports sector, interventions were carried out, such as the inauguration of the multipurpose building works in Mato, which was attended by the President of the Republic, Jorge Carlos Fonseca.

MC/YY

Inforpress/End