Lieutenant Governor Matos, State and Local Leaders Visit Cabo Verde to Strengthen Economic and Cultural Relations

Published on Monday, July 14, 2025

PROVIDENCE, RI — Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos earlier this month led a trade and cultural mission to the Republic of Cabo Verde on the 50th anniversary of the nation’s independence from Portugal. Departing July 3rd and returning July 8th, Lieutenant Governor Matos, East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva, Senate Commerce Chair Robert Britto, former East Providence Mayor Isadore Ramos, and representatives of the Cape Verdean Museum and the Cape Verdean Progressive Center met with President José Maria Pereira Neves and Prime Minister José Ulisses de Pina Correia e Silva to establish stronger trade relations, expand educational partnerships, and discuss immigration and travel issues.

“Rhode Island is proud to be home to one of the nation’s largest Cabo Verdean-American populations. Our delegation worked directly with Cabo Verde’s leaders on creating even deeper cultural and economic ties between us,” said Lieutenant Governor Matos. “This trade mission is another step towards making Rhode Island a major point of international trade on the East Coast.” 

The chief economic purpose of the mission was to explore partnerships that would benefit the growing blue economies of both Cabo Verde and Rhode Island. The delegation provided a presentation to Cabo Verdean officials on REGENT, a Rhode Island-based company building electric maritime passenger vessels to provide high-speed transit between coastal cities. The delegation also discussed a framework for greater educational exchange opportunities between Rhode Island and Cabo Verde’s colleges and universities and extended an invitation for the President and Prime Minister to attend the 2025 Global Trade Summit, which is presented by the John H. Chafee Center for International Business at Bryant University.

The delegation addressed the future of travel between Cabo Verde and Rhode Island. Of significant concern to the Cabo Verdean government is the Trump administration’s expansion of third-country removals, which send deported people to nations not their own. The Rhode Island delegation committed to advocating for the repatriation of any deported Cabo Verdean citizens back to Cabo Verde. The mission also discussed reports from earlier this year that the Trump administration could implement a travel ban on Cabo Verdean citizens. While no such ban has been implemented, Lieutenant Governor Matos committed to working together with the Cape Verdean government to advocate for free travel between our nations.

This trade and cultural exchange mission continues Lieutenant Governor Matos’s work to strengthen Rhode Island’s international relations. Previously, Lieutenant Governor Matos has traveled on a cultural and economic mission to Israel, organized a Rhode Island trade mission to the Dominican Republic, and collaborated with consulates in other New England states to provide in-person services for Rhode Island immigrants.