Cabo Verde's Democracy Faces Illiberal Threats Rooted in Past Regime

Cabo Verde's democracy is experiencing significant tensions due to an illiberal political-ideological narrative that persists despite the formal adoption of liberal democratic principles. Unlike older democracies struggling with fatigue, Cabo Verde's crisis began with the fall of its one-party regime, which, though formally ended, left its ideological culture embedded in state institutions, particularly education and public media. This culture prioritized the collective over the individual, hindering autonomy and individual responsibility. The inherited state apparatus, accustomed to paternalism and clientelism fueled by foreign aid, exhibits nostalgia for past practices, contributing to a lingering disregard for laws and a sense of impunity. This environment weakens oversight institutions and emboldens executive power to resist limitations. A critical threat to liberalism in Cabo Verde is the systematic undermining of truth through disinformation, fact denial, and the imposition of alternative narratives. The nation's historical and cultural system, deeply influenced by the former one-party regime, makes it particularly vulnerable. This illiberal narrative clashes with the country's formal liberal framework, creating internal conflict. The current political landscape, marked by a perceived left-wing populism that gained traction after capturing the PAICV party, is expected to intensify anti-liberal pressures. Policies aimed at job creation and retaining youth through state dependency, such as focusing on the primary sector, are criticized for potentially entrenching dependence rather than fostering individual initiative and economic growth. Concerns are also rising over attempts to exercise power without restrictions, exemplified by convenient legal interpretations and personal attacks on journalists, mirroring tactics used by populist politicians to discredit traditional media. The article highlights the manipulation of historical events, such as the Tarrafal prison, to fit an anti-liberal narrative, contrasting official accounts with historical realities of political imprisonment. The President's invocation of July 5, 1975, as a day of national unity is questioned for ignoring deportations and detentions that occurred around that time, suggesting an institutional effort to obscure historical truths and the dictatorial aspects of the post-independence era. The author argues that this institutional interference obstructs the pursuit of truth and contradicts the constitutional oath to uphold a liberal order based on pluralism.