International press highlights Hillary Clinton’s statements about Cape Verde’s “good example” 


In its coverage of Hillary Clinton’s visit to Cape Verde, the international press highlighted the words of praise the US Secretary of State reserved for the country, placing a special emphasis on the quality of its democracy and on good governance. 


Mary Beth Sheridan of The Washington Post begins her report on Hillary Clinton’s trip to Cape Verde describing the Secretary of State’s morning: “Clinton appeared ebullient after an early-morning dip in the ocean and a meeting with Prime Minister José Maria Pereira Neves.”

The Washington Post’s special reporter explained that during the preparations for the trip to Africa, a list of six countries was proposed to Hillary Clinton, with the understanding that she would select four. “She instead chose all six — and added one, they said,” writes Sheridan. Could this country have been Cape Verde? The same journalist characterizes Cape Verde as “Africa’s lighthouse,” and quotes the US Secretary of State, who said that the Obama administration “is investing time and effort in the people of Africa.”

The journalist, however, affirms that “it is not clear how high Africa will remain on the U.S. agenda” and that the Obama administration “views Africa as an increasingly important source of oil and wants to prevent breakdowns in law and order that could create sanctuaries for terrorists, drug traffickers and pirates.”

CNN, for its part, highlights the relations that exist between Cape Verde and the United States, which are “based on a long history of partnership, which started in 1818 when the first U.S. consulate in sub-Saharan Africa was established in the country.” CNN also quoted US Ambassador Marianne Myles, saying that Cape Verde enjoys a stable democratic system, a high level of transparency and little corruption.

Portugal’s Correio da Manhã reports that Hillary Clinton presented Cape Verde as an example to be followed by all of the countries in Africa. And, “if you don’t want to listen to the United States, at least look to Cape Verde and see their example of good governance and their efforts toward economic growth, respect for human rights and work for the improvement in the population’s standard of living.”

Portuguese weekly Expresso quoted the dispatch from news agency Lusa to highlight Hillary Clinton’s declarations regarding the increase in support from the United States in the fight against drug trafficking, as well as arms and human trafficking. “Given Cape Verde’s geo-strategic position in the Atlantic corridor, the United States will increase its support in the fight against various types of trafficking.”

The newspaper Público opted to highlight the Obama administration’s belief that good governance is possible in Africa. The Portuguese newspaper quotes Clinton as saying “President Obama and I say, yes, good governance in Africa is possible. Look at Cape Verde,” during the 30-minute joint press conference with Prime Minister José Maria Neves.

The Portuguese newspaper also reinforced the idea that Cape Verde should serve as a good example, once again quoting Clinton as saying that in all of the countries she visited, there were “many more problems than positives. In Cape Verde, there were so many more positives than problems. What I heard here is music to my ears.”


In A Semana
16/08/09