Portugal President Receives Keys to Praia, Cape Verde
PRAIA, Cape Verde — In a gesture symbolizing the profound bond between Portugal and Cape Verde, Portuguese President António José Seguro was formally presented with the keys to the city of Praia on Wednesday. During the ceremony, the President declared that he now considers the Cape Verdean capital his second home.
A Key to Friendship
Praia Mayor Fernando Pinto presented the keys at a municipal ceremony, describing the gift as “proof of the enduring friendship” between the two nations. He emphasized that the capital’s doors are permanently open to Portugal, a sentiment that has echoed throughout Seguro’s official state visit to the archipelago.
President Seguro noted the significance of the gesture, particularly given that the majority of the Portuguese community in Cape Verde resides in Praia. “I thank you for the warm way you received me in this home of yours that has now also become mine,” Seguro said. He joked that these were the first keys he had received since his 18th birthday, when his parents gave him his first set of house keys.
Cultural Intertwining: From ‘Morabeza’ to ‘Bem-Haja’
The ceremony took a personal turn when Seguro pointed out a linguistic connection. He noticed the Mayor used the Portuguese expression “bem-haja” (a formal way of saying thank you or wishing someone well) three times.
“It is an expression I learned as a young boy in my home region of Beira,” the President explained, citing it as a “relevant sign” of how deeply Portuguese and Cape Verdean cultures are intertwined. He also praised the legendary “morabeza”—the unique brand of hospitality for which Cape Verde is globally renowned.
A Day of Diplomacy and Remembrance
The key presentation followed a busy morning that included the opening of the Cape Verde–Portugal Business Forum and a solemn session at the National Assembly. The diplomatic atmosphere grew emotional in Parliament, where President Seguro’s voice broke as he paid tribute to Portuguese musician Luís Represas.
Following a lunch hosted aboard the Portuguese Navy ship Bartolomeu Dias, the two heads of state shifted their focus to shared history. The afternoon agenda includes a visit to the Museum of Resistance in Tarrafal to lay a wreath in memory of the victims of the colonial-era concentration camp. The day will conclude with a visit to Cidade Velha, the UNESCO World Heritage site recognized as the birthplace of the Cape Verdean nation.
Image: Pexels – damien Saillet
