Equatorial Guinea kept out of the CPLP for now

For the moment Equatorial Guinea has been kept out of the CPLP, not a surprise after Portugal voiced its objection a few days before:

Equatorial Guinea will continue to wait to be a full member of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa). The conference of heads of state of the organization met last week in Maputo came to the conclusion that the country did not meet the conditions to realize its wish to join.

The rejection of the request by the former Spanish colony became clear when Portugal expressed its reservations, through foreign minister Paulo Portas. The objection of just one country is enough to keep the CPLP from coming to an agreement.

The accession of Equatorial Guinea had led to protests in Portugal and other Lusophone countries, because of the dictatorial nature of the government of Teodoro Obiang, president for three decades.

Keeping in contact for the past two years with CPLP representatives in Lisbon and Malabo, Obiang's regime sough to show its work to incorporate the Portuguese language in the curriculum. Two years ago just before the meeting of heads of state in Luanda, Obiang issued a decree recognizing Portuguese as the third official language, along with Spanish and French.

The main barriers to entry for Equatorial Guinea are the existence of the death penalty and the absence of civil rights.