Talking about the Ernestina, the Consul General of Cape Verde, Pedro Graciano Carvalho said in New Bedford, at an official ceremony introducing his to the Community:

“This morning we visited the schooner Ernestina, a symbol of the long and generally difficult and rough journeys of Cape Verdeans to America. Today, The Ernestina can also symbolize the excellence in the relationship between Cape Verde and the United States, which as we mentioned, has never been as good as today. The Ernestina must be at a level to reflect that, and we must all come together to make that happen.”