Chega believes that all those convicted of starting forest fires should serve prison time and be forced to carry out unpaid reforestation work in the areas they destroyed. For the party, this is an essential measure to reinforce the deterrent nature of penalties and to hold accountable those who cause such serious damage to the national territory, the economy, and communities.
The party considers it unacceptable that Portugal continues to face summers marked by destruction, human tragedies, and losses, maintaining that the lenient way in which arsonists are treated does nothing to deter such actions.
“We will not accept that those who destroy our territory and endanger human lives serve symbolic sentences and quickly return to the streets. Arsonists must be punished in an exemplary manner and forced to work to replace what they have destroyed. It is a matter of justice for the victims and the country”, says Francisco Gomes, deputy in the Assembly of the Republic.
Chega maintains that those who refuse to participate in these programmes should not benefit from probation or parole. He believes that only with a firm and clear law will Portugal cease to be the country that burns the most and refuses to punish arsonists.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
