The investigation into the political management of the August fires continues tomorrow, in the Assembly of the Republic, with the hearing of the Minister of Internal Administration.
The hearing of Margarida Blasco will take place at 09:00, within the scope of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees. The investigation stems from a request presented by the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party, as explained by Miguel Iglésias, deputy elected by PS-Madeira.
Press release from PS Madeira:
“The Minister of Home Affairs is part of a group of personalities and national entities with responsibilities in matters of civil protection and firefighting that will be heard in this context. So far, the testimonies of the Secretary-General of the National Union of Civil Protection, the President of the Portuguese Association of Safety and Civil Protection Technicians, and the President of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority have already been heard, and in addition to Margarida Blasco, hearing from the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires, the League of Firefighters of Portugal and the Centre for Studies on Forest Fires are also planned.
As Miguel Iglesias points out, these hearings are fundamental to assess what really happened in the fight against the fires that hit four municipalities in Madeira, in an area of more than 5 thousand hectares of forest and vegetation which forced several dozen people to leave their homes.
The political management of the firefighting deserved strong repairs from the beginning, namely concerning the contradictions between government officials, poor communication, and the initial refusal of foreign aid, which later turned out to be crucial.
“These are facts that have been systematically pointed out by the different officials already heard in this Commission and it is imperative that we continue to listen to the other entities so that we can assess firefighting protocols. This is necessary investigative work, on behalf of all Madeirans who were affected by this catastrophe, but also to prevent similar future situations from occurring,” stresses the PS-Madeira deputy to the Assembly of the Republic.
