Brava: Mayor calls working visit to the United States "very productive"
The mayor of the island of Brava today called his working visit to the United States "very good and productive", highlighting gains, especially in strengthening cooperation with the city of Pawtucket.
Amândio Brito, who spoke to Inforpress by telephone from the United States, emphasized that since the 21st of this month he has been on a working visit to that country, a mission that has allowed him to consolidate historical relations between the island of Brava and the emigrant community, particularly in the city of Pawtucket, where a large number of Bravenses in the diaspora live.
"We have just received an ambulance donated by the mayor of Pawtucket, Donald Greven, to the Brava Island City Council. So the fruits are always good and future expectations are carefully laid out," he said.
According to the mayor, this visit marks "a new era" in institutional relations between the two cities, with "clearly defined" objectives and prospects for cooperation in various areas of common interest.
The mayor emphasized that Brava and Pawtucket have a centuries-old relationship, built over decades through the strong presence of the Brava community in that North American city.
"They are two sister cities in almost every way. Here you can experience the island of Brava at its most genuine, in terms of culture, traditions, gastronomy and even language. You can hear Brava Creole everywhere," he added.
During the visit, an official proclamation recognizing the two cities as sisters was signed, as well as a twinning protocol, which provides for cooperation in sectors such as health, education, culture and civil protection.
The official acts took place in the presence of municipal and administrative authorities from Pawtucket and "numerous Cape Verdean emigrants" living in that city.
As part of the mission, the Brava delegation also visited the governor of the state of Rhode Island, Dan McKee, and the mayor of Brockton, Moises Rodrigues, with whom they discussed issues related to the development of the island of Brava.
"We talked about the island's strengths and weaknesses, existing opportunities and priority areas such as education, health and civil protection. We understand that they are open to collaborating with us," he said.
"Another of the highlights of the visit," he said, was the inauguration of the "Brava Way" street in Pawtucket, in honor of the Bravense merchant and emigrant António Alves Gomes, known as Tote.
Amândio Brito considered that this tribute demonstrates the recognition and appreciation of the Bravense community living in the United States.
The mayor also stressed "the fundamental role of the diaspora" in the island's development process, advocating greater participation by emigrants in building Brava's future.
"Emigrants want to participate and be an active part of Brava's development. It is this capacity that we want to value and bring to the island," he said.
The mayor reiterated that his vision is to build "an inclusive Brava Island", considering that the diaspora represents an indispensable asset for the island's growth.
He thanked the emigrants from Brava for their contribution to the country and the island, calling for trust in the local administration and for a stronger union for development.
"We want to express our complete gratitude to our immigrants for everything they have done for Brava and for Cape Verde," he concluded.
