The president of the African Independence Party of Cape Verde (PAICV, opposition), Rui Semedo, classified this third-fair as “disastrous” and “unsustainable” to the situation of non-archipelago air and maritime transport, criticizing the “silence” of the government on the topic.
The situation is so serious that, for the first time in Cape Verde, in its entire history as an independent country, the cancellation of all flights was announced due to lack of equipment to guarantee operations. it was a real blackout of air transport”, said Rui Semedo.
The party leader referred to the situation of the breakdown of the two aircraft with which the company BestFly operates air connections in the archipelago, which occurred over the weekend, despite the fact that the movement of passengers (air) has already approached to the previous values. in recent months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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At a press conference held in Praia, to take stock of the meeting of the PAICV political commission, the party president explained that the issue of transportation was the subject of analysis, taking into account “the crisis” of air and sea connections ( which were also affected in July by damage to ships, having registered a record movement of more than 180,000 passengers in August), describing the situation as “unsustainable”, with “great losses for passengers and for any Cape Verdean who wants to comply with the right to move from one island to another.”
Not even the pilots, who are usually very tolerant, cannot stand the mismanagement of the air transport sector, with very penalizing impacts on their personal, professional and family life, and they have issued an ultimatum to the Government demanding urgent measures for a decent life. , serious and responsible and with a professional and competent management”, accused Rui Semedo.
He added that the “situation is so disastrous that the silence of the prime minister and deputy prime minister cannot be understood”, whom he accuses of having “seeked to escape from this uncomfortable topic to take refuge in announcements, new promises and sometimes in poems”. and ramblings.”
The political commission decided, therefore, to demand from the government all the necessary information on the real situation and to take measures in accordance with the importance of the transport sector for people’s lives and for the economy of this country”, said Rui Semilla.
According to the party’s president, the highest body between congresses also “reviewed the security situation” in Cape Verde and “draws attention to the government for the chaos that exists in the neighborhoods and due to the resurgence of robberies“.
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“That haunts good people who are increasingly at risk of being mugged even within their own homes. It is not worth continuing to insist that the situation is good while situations of aggression and casso bodes (armed assault on public roads) increase every day, which tend to be trivialized and increase the feeling of fear and impotence in the face of delinquency,” he accused. , demanding “urgent measures” to “restore citizens the right to move freely.”
The political commission of the largest opposition party also analyzed the impacts of the crisis that the country is going through “in the lives of individuals and families”, having urged “once again” the Government “to take measures to help all that go through it.” extreme levels of violence”.difficulties”.
The political commission is surprised that the government has announced the opening of work fronts and, at the same time, has not taken any steps to materialize this measure in practice, leaving people suffering at the limit of their capacities,” he said. he pointed. .
The party structure “reminds the government that to govern is, above all, to serve the people and that, therefore, the executive must move beyond fanciful announcements and work, in fact, to respond to the needs of people, families and companies”, he concluded. Rui Semedo.
The archipelago faces a deep economic and financial crisisdue to the sharp drop in tourist demand —a sector that represents 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the archipelago— since March 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2020 he recorded a historic economic recession, equivalent to 14.8% of GDPfollowed by 7% growth in 2021, driven by the recovery in tourism demand.
For 2022, due to the economic fallout from the war in Ukraine, namely rising prices, the Cape Verdean government lowered its growth forecast from 6% to 4%.
Source: Observadora
