The PS/Madeira stated this Monday that it will not allow the Regional Government (PSD), with the parliamentary support of the CDS-PP, to whitewash the mistakes made in the fire that raged in the region for 13 days.
The Socialist MP Rui Caetano declared that.
We can assure the people of Madeira that we will not allow the Regional Government, the PSD and the CDS to whitewash the mistakes that were made, not only in these fires, with the lack of coordination, articulation and timely intervention. We will denounce all the propaganda and parallel realities that this Government is already preparing to make, whitewashing everything, helped by the CDS and the right-wing parties.
PS Commitment to Scrutinizing Government Actions
The parliamentarian guaranteed at a press conference in Funchal that the PS would continue to adopt a demanding stance and scrutinize the government’s activity. He said they would continue to question their options and the strategic errors.
He criticized by saying:
We have been presenting proposals for years, all of which have been rejected by the PSD and the CDS. They shamelessly reject them and now they come forward with some proposals that are identical to those already presented by the Socialist Party.
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Madeira Fire Response: Independent Evaluation
Rui Caetano emphasized the importance of an independent technical observatory evaluating the fires that have occurred in Madeira in recent years, referring to a series of proposals presented in this area.
He recalled that this PS proposal was rejected in 2020 by the PSD and the CDS. He then highlighted that now the centrists are presenting a similar initiative. The socialist pointed out saying:
This shows the stance of the CDS, which is only concerned with the square meter of its party and not in defending the people of Madeira and the territory of the region.
Furthermore, he believes that if the PS measures had been approved, the consequences of the fires would have been different. He reinforced this stance and said:
The Socialist Party has not only just now woken up to this problem of managing our territory, land use planning and the problem of fires, unlike the CDS which seems to have only just woken up.
Rui Caetano also emphasized that this year’s fire, which began on August 14 and burned for 13 days, scorched over 5,100 hectares. He also highlighted that in the last 18 years, fires have burned over 43,000 hectares. He insisted that:
Something is going wrong. We need to rethink the model for protecting our forest and the planning of our territory.
The PS deputy argued that it’s time for the Regional Government to take responsibility. He further urged them to replace their arrogant and overbearing discourse with a posture of humility. He believes that they should welcome proposals from experts, civil society, and political parties to find the best ways to protect the forest. Caetano added
We cannot continue to accept this way of managing Madeira’s destiny, refusing to participate in the National Integrated Rural Fire Management Plan, refusing immediate help whenever necessary.
Background on the Madeira Fire
The rural fire on the island of Madeira broke out on August 14 in the mountains of the municipality of Ribeira Brava. However, it gradually spread to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, and Santana.
Livre called for Madeira fire responsibility assessment as the fire continued to burn for 13 consecutive days. Furthermore, the government had to come up with a relocation Plan to provide safe housing for affected families.
