What does the country need at the moment in terms of development?

We need more investment from foreign entities, both direct and private. We need more power at a local level and a more efficient public administration. We also need to prioritise everything related to the economy based on the sea – the blue economy.

Is the blue economy a particular priority for your government?

Cape Verde is an archipelago made up of ten islands with small amounts of land and natural resources, but with a very large number of square kilometres when you consider its Exclusive Maritime Area. We have not begun to take full advantage of our maritime resources until recently, and it is mandatory for us to fully prioritise the exploration of all that the sea has to offer us. We are placed in a strategic position in the Atlantic Ocean and we must take advantage of this in order to boost development.

With regard to development, what should the country’s priorities be in your opinion?

We must attract investment and generate both growth and employment. We must also improve ocean management and conduct institutional reforms.

Do you see Cape Verde as having the potential of becoming a transportation hub between Europe, Africa and the Americas?

The government is moving forward with the restructuring of TACV (Cape Verde Airlines) in order to create an international company within TACV. This implies finding a strategic international partner that will act as an investor and also be involved in the management of the company. The government will announce new measures with regard to this matter very soon.

We need to build a solid structure for the creation of this company and plan all management, logistical and financial resources in order for this company to become a strong platform of aeronautical services for the American, European and African continents. The government, along with local and international private investors, is already putting this plan in motion, but we are only just getting started.

In what state would you like to leave Cape Verde once you reach the end of your term?

I would like for the country to be more developed and to generate strong economic growth.

I would also like to see a stronger and more qualified democracy than the one we now have; a more modern and strong state, and a country more equal across all of its regions. I would like for this development to reach areas such as Brava, Picos, Mosteiros and São Nicolau. I want Cape Verde to be a country with less social inequalities; above all for it to be a just society.

The objective is to transform Cape Verde into a much more developed country in the short term – that is to say in the next ten, fifteen or twenty years – and by then be able to stand in terms of reputation alongside other highly developed countries, and not with countries that still suffer from problems regarding inequality, injustice and lack of development.