[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               CELEBRATION OF CAPE VERDE INDEPENDENCE DAY

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to join Cape Verdeans in the 
July 5th celebration of Cape Verde Independence Day.
  Every country is rich with its own history and unique story of how it 
achieved democracy, and Cape Verde is no exception. In 1462, Portuguese 
settlers arrived at Santiago and founded Ribeira Grande, now Cidade 
Velha, the first permanent European settlement city in the tropics. 
After almost three centuries as a colony, in 1951 Portugal changed Cape 
Verde's status to an overseas province. Then in December 1974, an 
agreement was signed which provided for a transitional government 
composed of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans. In 1975, Cape Verdeans 
elected a National Assembly, which received the instruments of 
independence from Portugal.
  For the first fifteen years of independence, Cape Verde was ruled by 
one party. Then in 1990 opposition groups came together to form the 
Movement for Democracy. Working together they ended the one party state 
and the first multi-party elections were held in January 1991.
  Cape Verde now enjoys a stable democratic government. It is an 
example to other States as to what can be accomplished. These 
democratic changes have meant better global integration as the 
government has pursued market-oriented economic policies and welcomed 
foreign investors. Tourism, light manufacturing and fisheries have 
flourished. Cape Verde has made the difficult transition from a colony 
to a successful independent and democratic State.
  Today, there are close to 350,000 Cape Verdean-Americans living in 
the United States, almost equal to the population of Cape Verde itself. 
These Americans hold a special right since the Cape Verdean 
Constitution formally considers all Cape Verdeans at home and abroad as 
citizens and voters. Thus, July 5th is a day of independence for all 
Cape Verdean-Americans as well as those in Cape Verde.
  As we approach the independence day of our own country and reflect on 
freedom and democracy, it is especially fitting that we remember and 
celebrate those special independence days of other peaceful 
democracies, such as Cape Verde. Join with me in wishing all those with 
direct and ancestral ties to Cape Verde a happy independence day.

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