*For the first time in the 200-year alliance between the United States and the Republic of Cabo Verde, from September 20-23, the President of Cabo Verde, Dr. Jorge Carlos Fonseca and First Lady, Ligia Dias Fonseca visited California, the “Golden State.” The visit began with the President meeting with Governor Jerry Brown on September 21, to discuss issues of mutual interest, including water and renewable energy.
In honor of the momentous occasion, on Saturday, September 22, Cabo Verdean Strong California hosted an event at the Hilton in Pasadena, California, to which EURweb Publisher Lee Bailey and yours truly were lucky enough to receive an invite. (Actually, I was a +1, but still very excited to tag along.) The evening began with a press conference, where the President made a very brief introductory statement and then each member of the press was allowed one question. The questions were straightforward and direct; however, some of the answers were not as on point, which may have been due in part to the fact that an interpreter was used, since the native language of Cabo Verde is Portuguese.
President Fonseca shared that Cabo Verde does not have natural resources, like oil or gold. I also heard someone say there is no water. I was not sure if no water really meant NO WATER or a drought type situation. I’m thinking more the latter, but who knows? Over 90% of all food consumed in Cabo Verde is imported. Its’ economy relies on tourism and foreign investment. According to President Fonseca, tourism represents 25% of the Cabo Verde economy. Lee asked his Excellency about the discussion he had with Governor Brown regarding water. The President did not answer specifically about water, but he did mention some of the things that were discussed, including tourism, the possibility of people in California investing in Cabo Verde, the infrastructure and renewable energy.
His Excellency said he enjoyed his conversation with Governor Brown and that, “He has a good sense of humor and was a good person to talk to.” He also said the discussion, “Was basically for us to establish a base of conversation.”
During the press conference, the First Lady sat quietly in the background, letting his Excellency have the spotlight. She sat very shy and demurely, which almost had me scratching my head, considering she is an attorney, as is the President, whom she met in law school. His Excellency was actually her law school professor.
Next up was dinner in the Grand Ballroom, where approximately 200 nicely dressed guests, most of them California based Cabo Verdeans, gathered to pay homage to their leader. We heard both the Cabo Verdean and American national anthems sung to perfection and then feasted on a buffet of amazingly good food, such as salmon, salad, fruit, rice and other dishes, as well as enjoyed entertainment by internationally acclaimed Cabo Verdean recording artists Maria Debarros and Joao Pires Correia. Although it took a while to get to the meal and people were hungry, or I was hungry, I think the wait was worth it. After all, it is not every day that I am in the company of the President of a country. The evening also included a keynote address by his Excellency, who considered the visit to California Cabo Verdeans as his “obligation.”
The final leg of President Fonseca and the First Lady’s trip was a stop in New York on Sunday. September 23rd, to participate at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Most Cabo Verdeans are creole, i.e., they are mixed from native-born African and native-born European descent. There are about half a million people still living in Cabo Verde; however, there are slightly more Cabo Verdeans living outside of the country. There is a large population of Cabo Verdeans living in both Northern and Southern California, who migrated to California because of the wine industry. There is also a heavy concentration in the New England states, specifically Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where they migrated because of the whaling opportunities.
People who visit Los Angeles usually want to check out Disneyland. That would have been a Secret Service nightmare. Although the President and First Lady’s trip did not include Disneyland, I heard they went to Walt Disney Studios. I guess that counts.
Marilyn Smith is a Los Angeles based writer/reviewer. Contact her via [email protected].
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