PR praises diaspora as "living heritage that must be valued and integrated into national development"

In his message alluding to the anniversary, the head of state praised the unprecedented qualification of the national soccer team, the "Blue Sharks", for the 2026 World Cup, considering that the achievement represents the "most perfect combination" of culture and communities.

José Maria Neves said that the "extraordinary achievement", which makes Cape Verde the second smallest country to qualify for a World Cup, is "a miracle" and a "gesture of diplomacy and national affirmation" that is due to the strength of Cape Verdean culture.

According to José Maria Neves, it was thanks to the "cementing of the national identity and the preservation of its essential features on the 11th island" that the national team could be built, bringing together talents from the islands and the diaspora.

"Let us therefore celebrate and recognize the fundamental role of this diaspora - this outstretched arm of Cape Verde, which, spread throughout the world, carries with it the strength, talent and love of the land", he stressed.

For the President of the Republic, this "winning formula" in sport is also a metaphor for what Cape Verde can achieve in other areas.

"Our human capital, spread across the five continents, is vast and precious - a living heritage that we must value and integrate ever better into national development", he stressed, noting that the contribution of Cape Verdeans around the world has been "constant and irreplaceable".

"Our human capital, spread across the five continents, is vast and precious - a living heritage that we must value and integrate ever better into national development".

In his opinion, Cape Verde must strengthen and reinvent its relationship with the diaspora, making it more effective, dynamic and mutually enriching.

Only in this way, he stressed, can a link be consolidated that unites experiences, values and talents for the sake of progress and the nation's global projection.

According to the same source, culture and communities together are "the beating heart of development" in Cape Verde. For this reason, he considered that the country's future "will be all the more promising the better they know how to transform this intangible wealth into energy for progress and the driving force behind truly sustainable development".

In his message, the PR also took the opportunity to salute the writer Germano Almeida, winner of the 2018 Camões Prize and recently awarded the Literature Prize at the Lusophony 2025 Gala in Lisbon.

He also praised Lauryn Rose Cabral Teixeira, a child of Cape Verdean origin living in London, who was recognized as one of the 100 Most Outstanding Child Prodigies in the World by the British Parliament and was a laureate at the BBC's Make a Difference Awards 4.

The PR also paid tribute to artists who have died in the last year, but whose works remain alive in the heart of the Nation", such as Romeu di Lurdis, José Paris (Zé Paris), Zito de Codê di Dona, Vaiss, Kiki Lima, Antonito Sanches, Carlos Germana (Djurumani), among others.

José Maria Neves also appealed for "this tide of unity" that today involves Cape Verdeans and is driven by the Blue Sharks", to become a "national djunta-mon" (inter-help) "around other great goals".

"Improving health, strengthening education, providing quality final services to citizens and promoting inclusive growth with environmental quality", wrote José Maria Neves, advising the celebration of achievements while also looking to the future with "courage, solidarity and ingenuity".

"On this 50th anniversary of national independence, let's celebrate not only what we are, but what we continue to dream. Culture and communities are the guiding thread of this collective journey towards Cape Verde 2075 - more united, more innovative, more prosperous and more just," the PR asked, wishing that "Cape Verde will continue to be, in the middle of the Atlantic and the world, a beacon of dignity, creativity, audacity and hope."

Inforpress/End