The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cape Verde argued that the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) has fulfilled the functions for which it was created, despite its “ups and downs,” and proposed a discussion on the future of the organization.
“The CPLP has had its ups and downs, but globally it has fulfilled the functions for which it was created,” stated José Luís Livramento in an interview with Lusa on the occasion of the community’s upcoming anniversary.
The promotion of the language, development, and international projection, “having a say on the global stage,” are key high points, said the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Regional Integration and Minister of Communities.
The minister highlighted the role played, for example, in the independence of East Timor from Indonesia, as well as in other political convulsions within its member states, as evidence of the organization’s historic and continuing relevance.
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A positive note was extended by José Luís Livramento to the mobility dossier, “with an agreement in principle that is undergoing consolidation and making people feel they are truly part of a community,” alongside cultural and technical cooperation.
However, questions have arisen regarding whether certain members are following what was agreed upon, as is the case with Equatorial Guinea, as well as moments when a country only participates institutionally without driving the community’s growth.
“There is a long way to go, but some problems must be resolved: first, what is happening at the level of CPLP entrepreneurs, with uncertainties and ‘wars,’ in quotation marks, over the leadership of the CPLP Business Confederation.”
Three and a half years ago, Cape Verdean businessman Marcos Rodrigues legally challenged a second vote that elected Nelma Fernandes from Guinea-Bissau to the presidency of the CE-CPLP, creating a major leadership dispute within the private sector body.
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The matter “must be resolved among the business agents themselves because the problem is theirs, although there could also be diplomatic action toward its solution,” noted José Luís Livramento regarding the ongoing institutional gridlock.
In another chapter, the head of Cape Verdean diplomacy pointed to “financing problems facing the International Institute of the Portuguese Language (IILP),” the main organ for language promotion, which is currently headquartered in the city of Praia.
The projection of Portuguese in international forums and the innovation required by the emergence of artificial intelligence are other critical points that demand deep discussion, which according to the minister, deserve a dedicated forum.
“We could have a specific theme, such as ‘The CPLP of the Future,’ where fundamental questions would be repositioned. Just as in 1996 it was concluded that a new phase was needed, today we must renew that stage.”
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In this case, those who traditionally decide on such significant structural matters are the summits of heads of state and government, he added. “Cape Verde is a staunch defender of the CPLP,” an organization built on a four-continent footprint.
This geographic diversity must be managed “with intelligence, to take full advantage of this presence,” said Livramento, pointing out that Cape Verde has already defined itself as a strategic platform for the ECOWAS space.
The minister spoke to Lusa just days before the government steps down, following 10 years of an absolute majority held by the Movement for Democracy (MpD), to be succeeded by an executive from the PAICV.
However, “the experience of political alternation in power shows that this is a peaceful topic. I do not believe there will be major differences in the approach and contribution that Cape Verde can and must provide.”
The CPLP, which marks its 30th anniversary on July 17, includes Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor as its core member states working toward closer integration.
