Ventura accuses Miguel Albuquerque of negligence in Madeira fire

Chegi President André Ventura has said that Madeira’s regional government president, Miguel Albuquerque, has been negligent in his handling of the fires that have devastated the island.

“It seems clear to me that there has been negligence on the part of the president of the regional government, not only in his approach to the fires but also in the way he has handled the calls for help and assistance,” the Chega leader told reporters when I was at the Vale do Sousa (Agrival) agricultural fair in Penafiel, Porto district.

According to Andre Ventura, if the request for help had been made quickly and effectively, the scale of damage seen in Madeira might not have occurred.

A rural fire on the island of Madeira broke out on August 14 in the mountains of the municipality of Ribeira Brava, gradually spreading to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol and Santana.

On Monday, the regional civil protection service reported that the fire was “completely extinguished.”

The Chegi leader stressed that politicians are citizens like everyone else, entitled to a holiday. However, he added, there are times when politicians must know how to stop, even if it is a time to rest and return to work, because the population depends on their work.

“I think Miguel Albuquerque has failed in this personal dimension, as well as in the political dimension. This is not a personal attack, it is a political attack,” he stressed.

Asked by journalists whether this situation would justify the dismissal of the president of the Madeiran government, Ventura replied: “In my opinion, Miguel Albuquerque should think carefully about the consequences of what he did and whether he has political conditions to continue.”