PAICV speaks at one of the most critical moments in Brava's recent history
The PAICV said today that Brava is experiencing one of the most critical moments in its recent history in terms of maritime supply and transportation and described a worrying scenario marked by a lack of basic necessities.
The warning was issued by the president of the Regional Political Commission (CPR) of the PAICV in Brava, Carlinhos Martins, at a press conference about the current situation that the municipality has been experiencing, with empty shelves and strong constraints for the population and traders, especially in the middle of the festive season.
According to the politician, the current maritime transportation system is not meeting the island's needs.
"We are facing a critical and terrible moment. The people of Brava are living with a real backlash, without access to essential products, something that has never happened before in the island's history," he said.
The leader recalled that, about a month ago, the PAICV had already denounced that simply increasing the number of voyages to Brava would not solve the problem of the shortage of essential goods, considering that the solution lies in direct state intervention in the maritime transport sector.
In this sense, the party argues that maritime transport should be taken over by the state, with the creation of a public transport park that guarantees the placement of a permanent ship in the port of Furna.
"We demand the return of the Kriola ship to operate from the island, as well as the definition of a fixed number of monthly slots for cargo and passengers, in order to ensure regular supplies to the population," he said.
Martins pointed to CV Interilhas as being directly responsible for the current situation, accusing the company of a lack of sensitivity to the island's reality.
"Traders and the population have complained that there are not enough spaces to transport goods to Brava, which has led to delays, additional costs and product shortages," he said.
"Passenger and freight transportation cannot continue to be at the mercy of private individuals. As long as that's the case, we'll continue to see chaos, because sometimes there's a lack of passenger transportation, other times there's a lack of space for cargo, including basic necessities," he stressed.
The president of the CPR stressed that even during the worst periods in the past, when the island was without a regular maritime connection for more than two months, there was never a shortage of food or water.
For the party, the current situation represents a clear degradation of the maritime transport system, considered the worst ever.
In the case of the island of Brava, the party denounced that the population and traders are being forced to pay extra prices for the transportation of their goods, classifying this practice as "dishonest and inhumane".
"The Government can no longer remain silent and indifferent to this situation, which is the result of the exploitation of traders to increase the profits of CV Interilhas," he said, arguing that Brava should have captive seats for passengers and cargo, in order to guarantee the supply and mobility of its population.
Finally, he warned that if nothing is done urgently, the situation could get even worse in the near future.
