“What is he coming to do?”, questioned Miguel Albuquerque in statements to journalists in the parish of Ponta Delgada, in the municipality of São Vicente, where he went to participate in the Eucharist of Bom Jesus, the patron saint of the locality.
The Madeiran governor added that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa “has nothing to see” on the island, only “burnt bush” and “no house or infrastructure was affected.”
The island official stated that the Head of State called him to inquire about the situation, and he gave him the necessary explanations, opining that this matter “is settled.”
Regarding the situation of some forces and entities calling for the resignation of regional civil protection officials, criticizing the strategy adopted to combat the August fires on the island, he responded: “I am not subject to blackmail nor can I work based on blackmail.”
“If they want a government leader wandering according to what is said on the internet or the momentary tastes of public opinion, we will be left without direction,” he added.
Albuquerque emphasized that someone must demonstrate “that there was negligence or incompetence in the management of the fires.”
“I’m not going by prejudices, nor what is said on social media. We have to look at reality,” he stressed, maintaining that fighting a fire like the one that broke out on August 14 in Serra de Água, in the municipality of Ribeira Brava and spread in the following days to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol and Santana, which had active outbreaks for 13 days, “is done through containment.”
The island official highlighted that “the results are visible,” because there were no fatalities, no infrastructure or houses affected, and “only a residual nucleus of Laurissilva was affected.”
“My function is to do everything I think, within the framework that was voted on in the Government program approved in parliament, to maintain a course for Madeira,” he emphasized.
Miguel Albuquerque highlighted that the population in Madeira wants stability and to “maintain the course” and “would not understand if, due to marginal issues, there was instability” in the region.
“We cannot be jumping around and zigzagging according to the moods of the moment, especially moods that often do not reflect the majority” of Madeirans, he opined.
According to the president of the regional executive, people can only demand that he “fulfill what are the principles enshrined in the program and which were endorsed by the population.”
Albuquerque informed that he has not yet received the request to attend the hearing in the Madeira Parliament for explanations about the management of the fires.
“I haven’t seen it yet. I haven’t decided yet and I have to analyze it, then I’ll make the decision. I’ve never shied away from scrutiny,” he reinforced.
The Madeiran social-democratic leader emphasized “not being afraid of anything and much less of parliament,” stressing that he participates in debates in the Madeira Assembly every month.
The Bom Jesus da Ponta Delgada festival in Madeira is the second most important in the region, after that of Monte, the patron saint of the island which is celebrated on August 15, he highlighted.
