This Wednesday, a fire engulfed the homes of seven families and pastures in the Rabelados community, a historical core of tradition in the interior of the island of Santiago in Cape Verde.
The fire broke out this morning, “consuming the homes of seven families, as well as all the pastures of local livestock farmers,” the San Miguel City Council said in a statement.
City firefighters arrived on scene and extinguished the fire.
“All measures are being taken to identify victims and resettle families and provide them with all necessary assistance,” he added.
In the forties of the 20th century, the Catholic Church sent local priests to Cape Verde, making changes in the celebration of masses and religious customs.
Some groups of the population rebelled against these changes, becoming known in Creole as “rabelados” (rebels), who began to carry out their old traditions of hiding and formed their own communities – they took refuge mainly in the interior of the island of Santiago, in inaccessible mountainous areas.