ABSTRACT
Cabo Verde is an exemplary democracy where politics is essentially shaped from above. However, it has seen high levels of protest since the 2010s. So how effective have these protests been? Two cases are examined to answer this question: the movement for regionalisation in Cabo Verde and autonomy for São Vicente (MRCV), which emerged in 2010 and has been determinant in keeping the issue of regionalisation on the political agenda over the years; and the movement against the approval of the new statute of political office holders (MAC#114), which was responsible for the withdrawal of the statute bill just months after it was formed in 2015. Linking political opportunity and framing approaches, this chapter shows that both movements used instrumental framing (amplification and diffusion) and political openings (e.g. proximity to elections, and presence of political allies) to achieve their goals. However, MAC#114 benefited from a more favourable media coverage and public opinion. The findings draw on interviews, content analysis of social media blogs and posts, and printed and online newspapers, and shed light on the role of agency and structure to explain the varying impacts of protests in Africa.
