Today marks the one-year anniversary of the military coup d’état
in Guinea Bissau. For some reason, I thought there might be some sort of
celebration, or national convergence, or meeting or something. Nothing
happened. It was just like another day. But the thought was definitely there on
everyone’s mind.
But other
political events have taken place recently that has left the country on its
toes. About a week ago or so, American FBI or CIA captured one of
Guinea-Bissau’s top military officials, Bubo Na Tchuto, and
are accusing him of attempting to selling drugs in the US and engage in weapons
trade with Columbia.
What I have
been learning is that there are actually a lot of African American undercover
agents working in Guinea-Bissau trying to get more information about the drug
trafficking here. There was an American investigator who crossed paths with
Bubo and that American investigator is now no longer living. With double incentive, the Americans took Bubo
on what they are calling “ international waters.”( I put it in quotes because
no one seems to be able to agree where and how he was taken, but the US claims
it was international waters.)
But his
capture is very controversial here and for that reason the country has been on
high alert, or lock down rather. All
airlines into the country ( TAP-Portugal, TAVC- Cape Verde, SenegalAirlines,
and RAM- Morocco) were canceled for fear that the military would try and claim
their planes in retaliation. The French
embassy has even told French people living here be indoors after 8pm.
Since then,
I’ve been told by several different people not to say I’m American because I
could be associated with the American DEA or working undercover and could
easily get mixed into some problems. Fortunately for me, people are generally
at a loss when it comes to figuring out where I’m from. I get a lot of Spain,
Portugal, and Brazilian. Never American. Plus I can speak Portuguese and Creole
which helps create more confusion.
Though this
is the current situation, it sounds a lot scarier then it seems. Everyday has
been normal, for me, and it’s only when I check the news site that I am
reminded about what is happening here politically.
On the
other hand, some people are pretty excited about the recent US involvement in
the country. It is said that military and government officials run the country
like they are the highest authority under God and that they think they are
untouchable because they are at the top of the social and economic power
ladder. By the US taking Bubo into custody, it shows the other dirty generals
and politicians that there are bigger fish in the ocean, so they better watch
out. Some folks even think that if the US come and takes enough generals
involved in the Drug Trafficking then the country can begin to stabilize and
begin to develop.
The only slightly
comical thing about this situation is that Bubo had approached my stepdad weeks
before inquiring about his car. My step-dad has a 1999 Lincoln Navigator here
and that car is almost always considered the presidential car. There are only 2
in the country: My step-dads, and some other guys. Lincoln Navigators are a rare,
big, and American, so it just screams wealth, and all big military guys have
their ‘wealth screaming’ car. Anyhow, Bubo was offering to buy the car, but
since he was taken into US custody in New York, my dad is now looking for
someone else to sell his car too.
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