Cape Verde: Enough of mugging
Pedrabika [pt] discusses the high rate of mugging in Cape Verde and invites everyone to react, starting with attending to a rally this Friday, December 14: “We all talk but nobody does anything to get the situation changed. This appeal may be the beginning of a process of change, it depends on us, and how we face citizenship activism. Safety is an issue the relates to us all”.
4 comments
I am surprised by the comment on muggings in Cape Verde. With the exception of the capital Praia I have always found it a very safe place to visit. Are statistics saying that muggings are on the increase across all the islands?, are the muggings being carried out by local Cape Verdeans of by the large numbers of Western Africans now working on the islands. Are the muggings commited against local people or tourists? I would be interested to know becasue I am building an information website on Boa Vista and would like to include a section about personal security.
Kind Regards,
John Dowling
Hi, John
Apparently, there have been reports of mugging in Praia e Palmarejo. I don’t exactly know where these places are, but If you read Portuguese, there are about six bloggers talking about the issue and you can find them through the link provided. I hope these may help to answer some of your queries!
Paula
Paula,
thank you for the reply. I am very concerned about the impact of tourism on Cape Verde. The government seems to be attempting to expand tourism at an alarming rate.
My interests are in Boa Vista which currently has a population of around 4500 people. The projections are for 900,000 tourists a year to be visiting the island by 2018. What effect will this clash of culture have on the local population, How will they cope with this influx which will not only include tourists but the migrant workers who will be needed to support the tourism industry.
I fear for the stability of the islands as a whole. This can only lead to the local population being driven out of their own homes (I have seen this already on Santa Maria on Sal) and the resultant rise in crime as the native people feel left behind
Regards,
John Dowling