Aristides Pereira
Encyclopedia
Aristides Maria Pereira (ɐɾiʃˈtidɨʒ mɐˈɾiɐ pɨˈɾejɾɐ; November 17, 1923 – September 22, 2011) was the first President of Cape Verde
, serving from 1975 to 1991.
. His first major government job was chief of telecommunications in Guinea-Bissau
. From the late 1940s until Cape Verde's independence, Pereira was heavily involved in the anti-colonial movement, organizing strikes and rising through the hierarchy of his party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
(Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde, known as PAIGC). In clandestine activity he often used the pseudonym Alfredo Bangura.
Although Pereira initially promised to lead a democratic and socialist nation upon becoming President, he compounded the country's chronic poverty by crushing dissent following the overthrow of Luís de Almeida Cabral
. Cabral was the President of Guinea-Bissau and Pereira's ally in the drive to unite the two Lusophone states. However, Cape Verde had a much better human rights record than most countries in Africa and was known as one of the most democratic (despite the restriction on party activity) because of the power delegated to local citizens' committees. After the coup in Bissau, political repression sharply decreased but the one-party PAICV state established at independence remained until 1990.
The country's policies during Pereira's rule tended toward Cold War nonalignment and economic reforms to help the peasantry. He controversially allied his country with the regimes in China
and Libya
.
Pedro Pires
served as Prime Minister for the duration of Pereira's presidency.
After PAICV decided to introduce multiparty democracy in February 1990, Pereira stepped down as General Secretary of PAICV in July 1990 and was succeeded in that post by Pires. Pereira was the PAICV candidate in the February 1991 presidential election
, but António Mascarenhas Monteiro
defeated him by a large margin.
The Aristides Pereira International Airport previously, (Rabil Airport
) on the Cape Verdean island of Boa Vista, was officially renamed after him on November, 19, 2011.
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, serving from 1975 to 1991.
Biography
Pereira was born on the island of Boa VistaBoa Vista, Cape Verde
Boa Vista is the easternmost island of Cape Verde. It is located in the Barlavento group of the archipelago. The island is known for marine turtles and traditional music, as well as its ultramarathon and its sand dunes and beaches...
. His first major government job was chief of telecommunications in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
. From the late 1940s until Cape Verde's independence, Pereira was heavily involved in the anti-colonial movement, organizing strikes and rising through the hierarchy of his party, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde or PAIGC is a political party that governed Guinea-Bissau from the independence of the then Portuguese Guinea in 1974, until the late 1990s, and from 2004 to 2005. Currently it is the party with the largest number of seats in the...
(Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde, known as PAIGC). In clandestine activity he often used the pseudonym Alfredo Bangura.
Although Pereira initially promised to lead a democratic and socialist nation upon becoming President, he compounded the country's chronic poverty by crushing dissent following the overthrow of Luís de Almeida Cabral
Luís Cabral
Luís Severino de Almeida Cabral was the first President of Guinea-Bissau. He served from 1974 to 1980, when a military coup d'état led by João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira deposed him...
. Cabral was the President of Guinea-Bissau and Pereira's ally in the drive to unite the two Lusophone states. However, Cape Verde had a much better human rights record than most countries in Africa and was known as one of the most democratic (despite the restriction on party activity) because of the power delegated to local citizens' committees. After the coup in Bissau, political repression sharply decreased but the one-party PAICV state established at independence remained until 1990.
The country's policies during Pereira's rule tended toward Cold War nonalignment and economic reforms to help the peasantry. He controversially allied his country with the regimes in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
Pedro Pires
Pedro Pires
Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires was the President of Cape Verde from March 2001 to September 2011. Before becoming President, he was Prime Minister from 1975 to 1991....
served as Prime Minister for the duration of Pereira's presidency.
After PAICV decided to introduce multiparty democracy in February 1990, Pereira stepped down as General Secretary of PAICV in July 1990 and was succeeded in that post by Pires. Pereira was the PAICV candidate in the February 1991 presidential election
Cape Verdean presidential election, 1991
Presidential elections were held for the first time in Cape Verde on 17 February 1991, as previously the National Assembly had elected the President. The result was a victory for António Mascarenhas Monteiro of the Movement for Democracy, which had also won the parliamentary elections the previous...
, but António Mascarenhas Monteiro
António Mascarenhas Monteiro
António Manuel Mascarenhas Gomes Monteiro was the President of Cape Verde from March 22, 1991 to March 22, 2001.-Education:Monteiro went to university in Belgium and graduated with his law degree from the Catholic University of Leuven...
defeated him by a large margin.
The Aristides Pereira International Airport previously, (Rabil Airport
Rabil Airport
The Aristides Pereira Airport is an airport in Cape Verde located in the island of Boa Vista, about 5 km southeast of the island capital Sal Rei. Its IATA code means Boa Vista, Cape Verde, and the last two letters of the ICAO code is Boa Vista...
) on the Cape Verdean island of Boa Vista, was officially renamed after him on November, 19, 2011.