Guinea-Bissau rapper's murder drives opposition movement into secrecy

Vigario Luis Balanta, a rapper and founder of the Po' di Terra opposition group, was brutally killed in March and his corpse was found outside Guinea-Bissau's capital. His wife Dulce, who had repeatedly asked him to keep a low profile, learned of his death after failed attempts to reach him. The military regime that took control in late November denounced the murder and launched an investigation but offered no details.

The incident shocked the political movement, prompting its leaders to go underground and communicate through encrypted chats. Opposition presidential hopeful Fernando Dias, now under guard, says the coup ruined a likely election win. New Po' di Terra leader Nado da Cunha, operating from Brazil, says the group of about 21 core members and a wider network of roughly 100 remain committed to demanding political freedoms ahead of a scheduled constitutional referendum on August 30 and elections in December.