João Lourenço Should Pardon Isabel dos Santos

I hate to use the term "Too big to fail." But in the case of Angola's Isabel dos Santos, the country was progressing exponentially when the daughter of former President Josė Eduardo dos Santos had free reign to do business, in that country and internationally. Isabel speaks seven languages and frankly had that umph that benefited both her and Angola. She was known as Africa's first Black woman billionaire by Forbes magazine, and her natural business acumen and marketing didn't have a ceiling. And I'm not mincing words, here. The European press fanned the flames that brought current President Joâo Lourenço and the dos Santos scion to loggerheads. Let's keep in mind that Angola's civil war only ended in 2002, just in the nick of time for Isabel dos Santos to emerge amidst the new wave of oligarchs who staked their claim to the new Angola. It was the so-called International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (I CIJ), former colonialist powers, who primed the pump of negative media that led to the freezing of dos Santos' accounts and business enterprises. Sure, dos Santos capitalized on her position as the former president's daughter, but what smart young person wouldn't have taken advantage of the leverage fostered by her inherent positioning. Like wolves in sheep's clothing, the ICIJ conducted clever mass marketing of its coverage, which subsequently worked to stall Angola's theretofore rapid transformation. Billions of $$$ are rotting on the vines, right now, because the former Portuguese colony is attempting to play by the same rules as the European colonizers. I'm sure egos have been bruised and the surface business practices leave room for censure, but Africa's new leaders need to provide grace in some cases tantamount to U.S. bankruptcy laws. Holding a weight over a debtor's head does nothing to heal an ailing economy.