History, Cape Verde

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The Portuguese discovered Cape Verde, initially uninhabited, in the 15th century and they saw no evidence of prior settlement. By the late 15 century, Sao Tiago was the first island to start inhabitation and later came to be used as a supply point for the slaves who were traded to Brazil and the Went Indies. The island was quite difficult to have developed what with its inhospitable landscape and its unsuitable climate. Also, the attentions of the rival colonial powers were also responsible for making the lives of the Portuguese colonial administrators difficult. Despite the successful establishment of sugar plantations by slaves from Africa and cotton cloth weaving, the people in these islands lead a life of extreme poverty.
The year 1951 saw Cape Verde redefined from being known as a colony to an Overseas Province. The 1960s and early 1970s saw the island being used as a garrison by the Portuguese army. Most of the upcoming independence movement’s members went off to Guinea-Bissau, another Portuguese colony on the mainland, and formed the Partido Africano da IndependÄ™ncia do Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC) – under the famous revolutionary leader – Amilcar Cabral. After the 1974 Portugal revolution, Cape Verde became independent in 1975 shortly following the independence of Guinea-Bissau, who had close political associations with Cape Verde.
The PAIGC went on to control the political activities of both countries and discussions were held concerning complete unification. Following the 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau, this proposal was shelved after which the branch of PAIGC at Cape Verde was renamed the Partido Africano da Independęncia de Cabo Verde (PAICV). The two countries then went on to follow their own separate development paths. The 1990s saw the Government following the continental trend and in February 1991, saw the conduction of elections in the country. The PAICV was opposed by the

Movimento para Democracia (MPD) and the latter went on to win both the legislature and the Presidential elections, which saw the defeat of the serving Aristides Pereira by MPD’s candidate – ex-supreme court judge Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro.



The PAICV, however, did not lose heart. Early 2001 saw the PAICV winning both the presidency and national assembly elections defeating the MPDs who had held onto both these in 1995. PAICV’s Pedro Rodrigues Pires defeated MPD’s Carlos de Carvalho in the presidential race by a margin of just 17 votes. Cape Verde followed a firmly non-aligned foreign policy – which is reflected in its having been chosen as a mediator in the settlement of a variety of international disputes, including Angola. In 1998, it was host to various talks conducted to come to a conclusion in the conflict of Guinea-Bissau. Cape Verde still continues to keep close relations with Portugal, Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking African countries in the PALOP group (consisting of Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Cape Verde). More info on: www.ecowas.info

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