Clara Onofre

By being a member o f the GV team, i am hoping to show the reality of this country, with the good and the bad things…

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Latest posts by Clara Onofre

Angola: Pre-Election Media Coverage Undermines Political Process

At the end of this month, Angolans go to the polls. Expectations are high but the feeling on the streets is calm and festive. The party in power MPLA increases the number of openings of public works and promises to captivate voters. National bloggers, always attentive, report what is happening behind the scenes.

28 August 2012

Angola: The Hot Embers of a Repressed Protest

Recent events have shaken Angolan society and the state. After a large police response to the demonstration against the 32 year-long government of José Eduardo dos Santos on September 3, at least 18 were "unjustly convicted" and sentenced to between 45 days and 3 months in prison.

16 September 2011

Angola: Preemptive Maneuver Cancels “Revolution”

A week after the date of the revolution supposed to "dethrone" Angolan Government, the situation in the country appears calm. Preemptive manoeuvre actions of the State contributed greatly to this: pro-MPLA rallies were convened, troops were put at the ready, and protesters were silenced.

17 March 2011

Angola: Calls for a Revolution

In the spirit of protest that has swept across North Africa and the Middle East, it appears that Angolan people have found some inspiration. A protest against the government in power for 32 years has been set for March 7th. Bloggers and government officials react.

5 March 2011

Angola: “Alambamento” and Marriage Practices

In Angola, there is quite strong cultural tradition of the asking of the hand of bride in marriage, called alambamento. Considered by some more important that the civil or christian marriage, the alambamento consists of a series of rituals, like the delivery of a letter, material goods and money.

29 August 2010

Angola: Coins Gleaming Again

Last May the National Bank of Angola brought into circulation kwanza coins again. In a country where the population uses US Dollars along with Kwanza in the daily life, people are getting used to a new practice and discussing its purpose.

24 July 2010

Angola: Once Upon a Time in Roque Santeiro

The development experienced by Luanda holds one of the most frequented commercial spaces in the city. The Roque Santeiro Market, that generates thousands of dollars a day, to account, is about to close its “doors” to reopen in a more dignified and modern area, in Panguila.

29 June 2010

Angola: A Foreign Look by Afonso Loureiro

Living in Angola, Portuguese citizen Afonso Loureiro has been threatened because of his blog. In this interview, he talks about that episode, the country that hosts him and about self censorship and freedom of expression.

1 June 2010

Angola: The high cost of living in Luanda

The high cost of living in the country is paradoxical: Angola's high development indicators are not reflected in the finances of the majority of Angola's citizens and do not translate to quality of life for those less economically well off.

9 November 2009

Angola: The assassination of a ruling party MP

The Angolan blogosphere reacts to a double murder: a Member of Parliament and her brother, a Migration and Foreigners Services officer, were gunned down at the end of July. Was it a premeditated murder or an attempted robbery?

13 August 2009

Angola: New highway code in action

Discussions around the changes brought by the new Angolan highway code have been taking place on the blogosphere and divided society. On one hand, the new code is seen as good because it will educate careless drivers, but some argue that the legislation contains costs that not everyone is able to meet.

26 June 2009

Angola: Pope is greeted by the largest crowd of his African tour

The climax of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Angola was an open-air mass this Sunday, when nearly million people from various Angolan provinces and other African countries came to Luanda to hear the mass in Cimangola, on the outskirts of Luanda. Bloggers report on the Pope's remarks during his first pilgrimage to Africa, and also on the facelift Angola was given to receive Benedict XVI.

22 March 2009

Angola: Celebrating Angolan Women's Day with poetry

March is a month of double celebration for Angolan woman: apart from International Woman's Day, Angolan Woman's Day is celebrated on March 2nd because of the bravery of four women who fought for Angola's Independence. Bloggers celebrate by publishing poems and paying homage to women who suffer, love and fight with a large smile on their lips and bold eyes.

17 March 2009

Angola: Presidential elections postponed?

As of the end of February 2009, there is still no schedule for the presidential elections in Angola, which were due this year. The main priority for the MPLA, the party in power, is to approve a new constitution for the country. Bloggers speculate whether this means that the much awaited elections for a new president, the first since 1992, will be postponed.

21 February 2009

Angola: Controversy and Contradictions Over New Airports

The construction of new international airports for Luanda, one of them costing seventy-four million US dollars, is a controversial subject that has set bloggers talking in Angola. Does the city really need more than one good international airport?

23 January 2009