Lisbon, July 13, 2026 (Lusa) - Analysts interviewed by Lusa considered that the CPLP, which marks its 30th anniversary on Friday, still has significant room for growth and can further enrich the lives of its citizens.
“Thirty years on, we can say that the Community of Portuguese Language Countries [CPLP] still has significant room for growth,” said Brazilian analyst Adriano de Freixo.
In this regard, the foreign policy researcher added that the idea of “creating a major international organisation capable of increasing integration amongst Portuguese-language countries around the world is still a long way from becoming a reality”.
For Liberato Moniz, president of Lusíada University in Sao Tome and Príncipe, the organisation can still develop a concrete agenda, and projects that have a lasting impact on people’s lives, and leaders can deepen their understanding of what the organisation is and why it is important.
Cabo Verde’s analyst, Redy Lima, views the CPLP as having untapped potential and believes it can have a greater impact on citizens.
On the other hand, as a citizen of Cabo Verde, he feels that his country prioritises bilateral agreements.
The same view was expressed by Mozambican professor Elísio Macamo, of the University of Basel in Switzerland, who says he feels that this is “an organisation for political consultation (…) which, at first glance, has limited immediate relevance for citizens”.
From Guinea-Bissau, the analyst Rui Landim expressed hope that the CPLP will evolve beyond symbolic gestures and become a more active force for positive change, noting that the institution has yet to fully realise its potential since its creation in 1996.
Echoing this view, Angolan analyst Almeida Henriques acknowledged that “there is limited investment in the CPLP” and that political rhetoric “does not necessarily translate into the organisation’s actual work”.
The political scientist noted that Portugal and Brazil provide financial support for the organisation, but the projects “do not directly benefit people’s lives”.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese specialist in African affairs, Fernando Jorge Cardoso, reiterated that “any objective of economic integration between countries with no prior trade relations is utterly unrealistic” and that, for Portugal, the CPLP is valuable primarily as a political and diplomatic project.
According to the Equatorial Guinean lawyer Tutu Alicante, the community has yet to have a tangible impact on the lives of citizens of Equatorial Guinea, which has been a member of the CPLP since 2014.
On the other hand, the former São Toméan presidential candidate, Liberato Moniz, emphasised that, in his view, “there is a need for a clear agenda within the CPLP – an agenda that recognises that ‘in January one thing is done, but in June it is followed up’, for example.
Thus, the São Toméan architect considered that “the CPLP is withering away and dying a slow death”.
However, from another perspective, Adriano Freixo believes the CPLP has contributed positively to “real progress in educational cooperation”.
“The large number of African and Timorese students attending universities in Brazil and Portugal is one of the most significant points,” he explained.
In the opinion of analyst Fernando Jorge Cardoso, the mobility agreement was the organisation’s greatest achievement, and the Multilateral Social Security Convention – already ratified by Portugal, Timor-Leste and Brazil, but not yet in force – “could be the second [greatest achievement]”.
Regarding the organisation's future, Elísio Macano considered that it needs a “political discussion” on the values it wishes to uphold and the principles its members must respect.
Liberato Moniz, meanwhile, argued that “the day justice is upheld within the CPLP, things will improve, because people will feel accountable for their actions”.
The CPLP, which marks its 30th anniversary on 17 July, comprises Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste NYC/ADB // ADB.
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