Amilcar Cabral, what was your role in the history of Cape Verde?
Travel is not just about admiring landscapes and collecting photographs of them. To understand the places, it is necessary to put them in context. This can only be achieved by taking an interest in their traditions, culture and, of course, their history. If you are traveling to Cape Verde soon, you will notice that one name in the archipelago stands out above all others. Who was Amilcar Cabral and why was he so important? Before you start packing your luggage, take the time to do a little research on the history of Cape Verde!
On another occasion, we have told you something about the colonial past of this African country. Cape Verde was discovered by Portuguese explorers between 1450 and 1460. They came across a virgin territory, with dense vegetation covering everything and stunning beaches. The Portuguese Crown immediately had plans to turn it into a prosperous and profitable colony. To do so, it resorted to the slave trade, an activity that would forever mark the history of Cape Verde, until it was abolished at the end of the 18th century.
Colonization, a legacy too long
This stage was vital to understand today the origins of the settlers, since the territory was shared by Portuguese settlers and Africans of different origins.
The desire for independence was not long in coming, especially in the 20th century, when several famines followed, killing thousands of people, and dictatorship was established in Portugal. It is in this scenario that the name of Amilcar Cabral begins to sound louder: a key figure in the independence of Cape Verde in 1975.
"From then on, he would dedicate his life to achieving freedom and independence for his people, at first by peaceful means and, later, through armed struggle."
An agronomist by profession, Amilcar Cabral was born in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, also a Portuguese colony, in 1924. Although his career, in principle, had nothing to do with politics, the reality is that he could not hide his pro-independence aspirations.
Amilcar Cabral, one of the most important figures in the history of Cape Verde.
His leadership skills changed his position from being just another voice in the demonstrations. He soon became the secretary general of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC). From then on, he would dedicate his life to achieving freedom and independence for his people, at first by peaceful means and later through armed struggle.
In 1973, he unilaterally declared the independence of Guinea-Bissau, an episode that led to his assassination in Conakry, the capital of his country. Unfortunately, it was not long before he would have seen his wish come true. Finally, his country achieved independence from Portugal in 1974 and Cape Verde in 1975.
Today, he is considered not only one of the main architects of the liberation of these countries, but also a national hero in the Cape Verdean archipelago. Proof of this is that the International Airport of the island of Sal is named after him.
Amilcar Cabral, as you can see, is one of the key characters to understand the history of Cape Verde. So if you are landing at Sal airport, you will no longer find his name strange.
