“There must be a thorough investigation into the technical, management, and political responsibilities, whatever they may be. There must be assurance that this situation will not be repeated, and answers to these questions must be provided. The Portuguese and the people of Lisbon deserve clear answers to the questions I have posed and others that are naturally being asked,” stated the former socialist leader.
António José Seguro questioned, “Who inspects the area that is not part of the daily inspection? How frequently is it inspected? When was the last time it was inspected? Who is responsible? Moreover, it was also revealed today that the braking system did not work and could not function. But why could it not function? Is this conclusion only being reached now?”
The former Secretary-General of the PS was speaking to journalists in Peniche (district of Leiria), on the sidelines of an intervention at the Campus da Liberdade 2025 initiative, organized by Instituto +Liberdade.
The candidate for President of the Republic in next year’s early elections called for urgency and rigor in the responses, maintaining that “the Portuguese deserve transparency.”
“The Portuguese deserve to know what happened and, beyond knowing what happened, who is responsible,” he asserted.
Seguro stated that ensuring safety is one of the State’s responsibilities and argued, “There may not be money for other things, but there must be money for the safety of the Portuguese and to protect their lives.”
When asked if political leaders should resign, António José Seguro considered that this is a matter for the parties to debate.
“That is a debate for the parties. I do not get involved; I am a candidate for President of the Republic, and as a presidential candidate, my focus is different; my concern is the safety of the Portuguese,” indicated the candidate for the presidential elections early next year.
The Glória Elevator in Lisbon derailed on Wednesday, resulting in 16 deaths and 23 injuries.
The equipment is managed by Carris, connecting Restauradores to São Pedro de Alcântara Garden in Bairro Alto along a route of about 265 meters, and is very popular with tourists.
