It’s extremely daunting and bold to associate the words luxury and poverty in correlating terms, some would think, especially when referencing government officials.
After all, they, government officials, are the ones that we have entrusted with the task of narrowing the margins of, certainly, economic disparity. We have done so by 1) electing them and 2) by giving them legislative authority.
However, as unfortunate as it is, most of these elected government officials, do not live by the virtues they so earnestly promulgate during pre-campaigns, campaigns, televised speeches, social media posts, and so forth.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: CVBP’s Patrick Rodrigues: A Dream To End Poverty In Cape Verde
CAPE VERDE’S POLITICAL ELITE
CAPE VERDE’S POLITICAL ELITE, MINISTERS, DEPUTADOS (NATIONAL CONGRESS MEMBERS), AND THE LIKE, EVER SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF MULTI POLITICAL PARTIES IN CAPE VERE, IN 1991, HAVE BEEN THE GRAND BENEFICIARIES OF POVERTY IN CAPE VERDE.
Cape Verde’s political elite have become desensitized to the everyday and essential needs of the people they govern because their needs are met with exceeding expectations.
LET’S ANALYZE
Cape Verde’s political elite either receive exemptions, nepotism or favoritism in Customs of Cape Verde for anything and everything. Mind you, customs of Cape Verde is the biggest stumbling block to economical progression in Cape Verde. However, for the political elite, it works beautifully.
Cape Verde has a health care system that is malfunctioning, outdated and inadequate, to say the very least. However, for the political elite, it also works beautifully, and that’s because they never go to them. Cape Verde’s political elite don’t experience what their “subjects” experience. The long hours in line, at times outside. The months or years wait for an analysis or eye consultation, etc. No, Cape Verde’s political elite do not experience this because they travel to countries in Europe or the USA for medical treatment.
Transportation, aerial and maritime, domestic and international, has become extremely problematic when traveling to most islands in Cape Verde. Binter airlines has monopolized the industry, thanks to Cape Verde’s ruling government, and international flights are, in practice, monopolized in most of the islands. However, this doesn’t impede traveling for the political elite because they don’t bear the exuberant costs of traveling, the poor Cape Verdean tax payer absolves it, and due to legislation, favoritism or nepotism they can always get a flight to and from anywhere.
THE BEAT GOES ON
YEAR AFTER YEAR, DECADE AFTER DECADE, CAPE VERDE’S ELITE POLITICIANS HAVE THRIVED ECONOMICALLY WHILE THE PEOPLE THEY GOVERN, BY FAR, LIVE IN UNACCEPTABLE, INADMISSIBLE AND DECAYING CONDITIONS THAT WOULD BREAK THE HEART OF THE MOST COLD HEARTED PERSON WHO IS NOT A CAPE VERDEAN POLITICAL ELITE.
The political elite in Cape Verde have amassed massive wealth that their salaries and colossal subsidies could never justify. It is no wonder that most Cape Verdeans have lost any hope of Cape Verde’s political elite to bridge the economic disparity gap that is wide in Cape Verde.
A way that Cape Verdeans have manifested their loss of hope in Cape Verde’s elite politicians is by not voting. In the 2016 parliamentary/legislative elections abstention reached nearly 34.2%; this is the election that determines congress members and thus the Prime Minister of Cape Verde (Cape Verdes political system functions much like many of the countries in Western Europe, different from the US political system).
Later in the same year, for the local elections, the abstention gap reached 41.6%.
The culmination of it all was for the Presidential elections, also held in the same year, 2016. Abstention in Cape Verde’s Presidential elections reached a staggering 65%. That is, only about 35% of eligible voters voted.
CAPE VERDE’S POLITICAL ELITE: BUILDING POVERTY FOR THEIR PEOPLE
Cape Verde’s political elite have bared massive poverty on their people, deliberately! Cape Verde is a highly sought destination for tourism and commerce for many, but for most Cape Verdeans their dream is to flea! That is, to leave the country, immigrate!
Why such a paradox? Why are some flocking to Cape Verde, foreigners, and Cape Verdeans flea from Cape Verde at the first chance they get or create?
The answer is agonizing, but the poignancy of it is alarming:
CAPE VERDE’S POLITICAL ELITE HAVE CREATED A STATE OF POVERTY AND DEPENDENCY OF CAPE VERDEANS ON THEM.
The political elite in Cape Verde do not want the Cape Verdean to thrive economically. After all, this would mean that the Cape Verdean would no longer be dependent on them. It’s a reason why they only superficially promote entrepreneurship but in their politics they actually suppress it.
Of the hardest and most arduous task in Cape Verde, for a Cape Verdean, because it’s not the case for foreigners, is becoming an entrepreneur, i.e., starting a business. The political elite in Cape Verde operate, discreetly, with a disdain for Cape Verdean entrepreneurship. Every conceivable barrier they can create to keep a Cape Verdean from developing their self sufficient and sustaining business they will create.
The political elite only want to create, as they have done so, a fat State, that only provides State jobs. In doing so, you will always speak in their favor, or as in the case of abstention, not speak at all!
THE KEY TO MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO FOR THE POLITICAL ELITE IS TO CREATE DEPENDENCY. THAT IS, MAKE THE CAPE VERDEAN PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON THEM.
As for why foreigners flock to CV, it’s for the exact opposite reasons, for independence. In Cape Verde, so long as they or their governments incentivize Cape Verde’s political elite in ways that solidify their stronghold on the Cape Verde’s people they are “bem vindo” (welcomed) in Cape Verde.
For reference you can read: CHINESE TAKEOVER OF COMMERCE IN CAPE VERDE…AND BEYOND!
CAPE VERDE’S POLITICAL ELITE: BUILDING LUXURY FOR THEMSELVES
Ever since the introduction of multi political party’s in Cape Verde, in 1991, the political elite instantly began building a life of luxury for themselves.
THEIR INTEREST WAS NEVER ABOUT INTRODUCING DEMOCRACY IN CAPE VERDE, A CONCEPT THAT DOES NOT EXIST IN ITS FULLNESS IN CAPE VERDE TILL THIS DAY!
The political elite first sought to amass wealth form themselves. It’s no coincidence that the richest people of Cape Verde are in fact politicians.
Politicians that became rich by outright stealing money from government coffers, gigantic kickbacks from cronies, monopolizing industries on behalf of friends or family and some, according to consensual allegations, accepting bribes.
Their greed for luxury based on the Cape Verdean people’s poverty can never be quenched. That is why with all of the wealth many of them have amassed they continue to receive exuberant government salaries, relative to that of most of the poor people they govern, housing subsidies, travel subsidies, clothes subsidies and so forth.
Not only have many of them amassed massive wealth, but they continue in government roles as they have made a career out of politics and are unwilling to relinquish it. We imagine their unwillingness to step aside and make way for Cape Verde is because of the prestige, influence and wealth their governing roles can bring.
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