Rise of far right makes reparations debate tough, says Cape Verde president

But, says Jose Maria Neves, this should not stop governments trying to build solutions using diplomatic corridors

Cape Verde's president, Jose Maria Neves, said the rise of rightwing populism has made it difficult to hold a serious debate over colonial reparations but argued that should not stop governments from having those conversations behind closed doors.

In an interview with the news site Brasil Ja, published online on Wednesday, Neves said debating reparations in the public arena" could lead to more political polarisation in countries such as in Cape Verde's former coloniser, Portugal, where the far right is on the rise.