Jónica Brito

Jónica Brito Tavares
Brito in 2026.
President of People Work and Solidarity
In office
2026–present
Vice-president of People Work and Solidarity
In office
2021–2026
Technical consultant at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy
Incumbent
Assumed office
2023
Personal details
BornJónica Brito Tavares
(1994-01-14) 14 January 1994
Praia, Santiago Island,  Cape Verde
PartyPTS
Alma materUniversity of Cape Verde
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionTechnical consultant

Jónica Brito Tavares, publicly known as Jónica Brito (Praia, 14 January 1994), is a Cape Verdean politician and technical consultant. A member of People Work and Solidarity (PTS), she assumed the presidency of the party in 2026, after having served as vice-president of the organisation between 2021 and 2026.[1][2]

Early life and career

Born in the city of Praia, on the island of Santiago, Jónica Brito Tavares has higher education in the field of International Relations and Diplomacy. In 2021, she was linked to the Faculty of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts of the University of Cape Verde, in the context of the lists of candidates admitted to the election of student representatives to the University Council.[3]

She completed a degree in International Relations and Diplomacy, a background connected to part of her professional career in Cape Verdean public administration.[4] In 2025, she was selected for the second edition of the master's programme in Applied Economics at the University of Cape Verde.[5]

Professional career

Jónica Brito Tavares developed professional activity in the field of technical consultancy, linked to the sectors of industry, trade and the digital economy. In 2023, she began providing technical consultancy services to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy of Cape Verde through a service contract.[4]

As part of her duties, she took part in international technical capacity-building initiatives related to e-commerce and economic development. In 2023, she attended the Legal Aspects of E-commerce course, promoted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) through the TrainForTrade programme, and co-presented the case study E-Commerce in Cabo Verde – Strategies and Regulations.[6]

In 2025, she participated in the TrainForTrade SIDS Conference Singapore 2025, a UNCTAD initiative aimed at small island developing states, within the areas of trade, digitalisation and economic development.[7]

Political career

Entry into politics

Before joining the national leadership of PTS, Jónica Brito Tavares took part in the 2020 municipal electoral cycle, joining the list of LUTA, Liderança União Trabalho e Amor, for the Municipal Assembly of Praia.[8]

Vice-presidency of PTS

At the 4th National Congress of the then Labour and Solidarity Party, held in August 2021, she was elected vice-president of the party. The congress was part of the internal reorganisation process of the political force, which adopted the name People Work and Solidarity, while retaining the acronym PTS.[1]

In the 2021 legislative elections, she was part of the PTS list for the Santiago Sul constituency, as the second effective candidate.[9] The party obtained 2,065 votes nationally and did not elect any deputies.[10]

Presidency of PTS

In 2026, in the context of the reorganisation of PTS following the death of Carlos Manuel Lopes, known as Romeu de Lourdes, Jónica Brito Tavares assumed leadership functions in the party.[11] In January of that year, she took part in an audience with the President of the Republic of Cape Verde dedicated to setting the calendar for the 2026 legislative and presidential elections.[12][11]

The new party leadership was defined at a National Council meeting held in February 2026, in the city of Praia. The structure came to include Jónica Brito Tavares as president, Jailson de Aguiar as vice-president and Jailson Gonçalves da Silva as secretary-general.[13] Her public presentation as president of PTS was reported by Radiotelevisão Caboverdiana in March 2026.[2]

2026 legislative elections

In the 2026 legislative elections, Jónica Brito Tavares headed the PTS list for the Santiago Sul constituency.[14][15] The party presented candidacies in six constituencies, including national and diaspora constituencies.[14]

During the campaign, PTS presented itself as a political alternative to the dominance of the Movement for Democracy (MpD) and the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). The party's public intervention focused on issues such as social justice, housing, health, employment, inter-island transport, youth, the informal sector, domestic production and the inclusion of the diaspora in national development.[16][17]

During the electoral period, Jónica Brito Tavares participated in television interviews and debates, including an interview broadcast by Radiotelevisão Caboverdiana in April 2026 and a debate promoted by the same broadcaster in May of the same year.[18][19]

In the final results proclaimed by the National Electoral Commission, PTS obtained 3,268 votes, corresponding to 1.73% of valid votes, without electing deputies to the National Assembly of Cape Verde.[20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Despacho n.º 1/2023: Registo e Alteração de Denominação e Símbolo de Partido Político, deferimento de pedido do PTS" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Boletim Oficial. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Jónica Brito Tavares é a nova Presidente do Partido Pessoas Trabalho e Solidariedade (PTS)" (in Portuguese). RTC. 21 March 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Edital n.º 04/CE/2021: Listas Provisórias de Candidaturas Admitidas e Não Admitidas" (PDF) (in Portuguese). University of Cape Verde. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Extracto de Contrato de Avença n.º 39/2023" (in Portuguese). Boletim Oficial. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Candidaturas ao Curso de Mestrado em Economia Aplicada, 2.ª Edição: 2025/2026 — Lista Definitiva dos Selecionados" (PDF) (in Portuguese). University of Cape Verde. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "Report on the TrainForTrade course Legal Aspects of E-commerce 2023" (PDF). UNCTAD/TrainForTrade. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Final Report for the TrainForTrade SIDS Conference Singapore 2025" (PDF). UNCTAD/TrainForTrade. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Listas concorrentes às Eleições Autárquicas de 25 de outubro de 2020: Praia" (PDF) (in Portuguese). National Electoral Commission. 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Edital n.º 01/CNE/2021" (PDF) (in Portuguese). National Electoral Commission. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Edital n.º 2/Eleições Legislativas/2021" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Boletim Oficial/National Electoral Commission. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Eleições 2026: Legislativas a 17 de Maio e Presidenciais a 15 de Novembro" (in Portuguese). A Nação. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "PTS e PP sugerem Maio e Novembro para eleições legislativas e presidenciais de 2026" (in Portuguese). Inforpress. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "PTS anuncia reactivação do partido com foco nas legislativas e aproximação aos cidadãos" (in Portuguese). Inforpress. 21 March 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Edital n.º 02/Eleições Legislativas/2026" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Boletim Oficial/National Electoral Commission. 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Cabo Verde: Jónica Brito entra na corrida por Santiago Sul e promete fazer diferente com política de proximidade e transparência" (in Portuguese). e-Global. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  16. ↑ "Jónica Tavares, Presidente do PTS - "Está claro que o bipartidarismo sufoca a nossa sociedade"" (in Portuguese). Expresso das Ilhas. 9 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "PTS quer ser "terceira via"" (in Portuguese). A Nação. 16 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Legislativas 2026: Entrevista com Jónica Brito Tavares - Presidente PTS" (in Portuguese). RTC. 26 April 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Legislativas 2026: Jónica Brito marca presença hoje no debate promovido pela RTC" (in Portuguese). A Nação. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "CNE proclama resultados definitivos das legislativas de 2026 e confirma vitória do PAICV com 37 deputados" (in Portuguese). National Electoral Commission. 29 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
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