José Manuel Bolieiro proposes new linguistic and cultural pact in Ibero-American space - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, participated online this Tuesday in the opening session of the 4th International Conference on Portuguese and Spanish Languages (CILPE2025), which is taking place in the city of Praia, Cape Verde.

Promoted by the Organisation of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), the initiative brings together more than 70 experts from 12 countries, who, over several days, will discuss the role of the Portuguese and Spanish languages in the contemporary world, as well as the promotion of indigenous languages and cultural diversity.

After three editions held in Latin American countries, the conference reaches the African continent for the first time. The selection of Cape Verde and its capital has a significance that goes beyond symbolism: it represents a strategic choice that strengthens the historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between continents, promoting closer relations between peoples and the construction of a more inclusive and global citizenship.

This year, the CILPE conference in Praia coincides with two important milestones: the 75th anniversary of the OEI and the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde's independence. This reinforces the celebratory and cooperative spirit of this edition, which focuses on defending the values of education, human rights, and cultural and linguistic cooperation between the Portuguese-speaking and Spanish-speaking worlds.

Among the personalities present at the event were Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, scholar Darío Villanueva, a member of the Royal Spanish Academy, and Jorge Carlos Fonseca, former President of the Republic of Cape Verde, along with researchers and policymakers from the Ibero-American community.

The head of the Azorean Government welcomed the event and emphasised the importance of choosing Cape Verde as a "living example of dialogue and interculturality." He also recalled the strong ties that unite the Cape Verdean archipelago with the Azores, where a significant Cape Verdean community resides.

The President highlighted the role of Macaronesia, which includes the archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, as a "natural bridge between continents," stressing that "the shared ocean is not a barrier, but a link." He also pointed out the unique position of the Azores as the European region closest to the Americas, a territory that has historically been a meeting point between cultures and civilisations.

José Manuel Bolieiro advocated the creation of an Ibero-American Atlantic Pact, focused on the shared management of cultural and natural resources.

"The Azores not only have an interest in this collective endeavour, but also a duty to actively participate in it," stated the President of the Azorean Government.

He added: "May this conference inspire new bridges of cooperation and reaffirm the role of our languages as instruments of unity and future between peoples and continents."

Related press release: Speech by the President of the Government