The coordinator of the Left Bloc (BE), Mariana Mortágua, stated on Thursday that “Portugal needs to radically change its forest management,” lamenting the annual recurrence of “fires and, consequently, discussions about consequences and responsibilities.”
“The same happens every year: fires recur, bringing with them discussions about consequences and responsibilities. Unfortunately, this year is no exception,” the bloc leader noted in a post on the social network X.
In her statement, Mariana Mortágua highlighted that “part of the country is in flames,” expressing that it is visible “in the faces of the affected populations, the despair of those who fear losing everything they have,” offering “solidarity words to all those people.”
Acknowledging that “everyone knows there is human responsibility in some fires” and that this “should be judged and punished,” Mariana Mortágua asserted that “stopping at this acknowledgment serves the economic interests, climate denial, and government negligence that, year by year, let the country burn.”
She therefore advocated that “Portugal needs to radically change its forest management” and that “it’s time to replace eucalyptus with native species, which prevent fires and protect the populations.”
Portugal precisa de mudar radicalmente o ordenamento florestal. É tempo de trocar o eucalipto por espécies autóctones, que previnem o fogo e protegem as populações. (4/6)
— mariana mortágua (@MRMortagua) August 14, 2025
“To do this, we need two things: the support that has been lacking for the populations to transform the forest and the vision of a different economy, based on the characteristics of each territory. Transform the forest, confront the vultures of tragedy, protect the populations. If none of this is done, we will hear the same lamentations next year,” she argued.
Mariana Mortágua’s statements came after a declaration by the Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, who emphasized that no citizen “is excluded from the joint effort,” nor from the “combat that belongs to everyone.”
“It is necessary to maintain vigilance, maintain individual self-restraint in the face of hazards and to consider that this is a national struggle, a battle for all,” she warned.
In the same announcement, the minister stated that the Government has decided to extend the alert situation due to the fires until next Sunday, August 17.
It should be noted that Portugal has been in an alert situation due to the risk of rural fires since August 2.
The Minister of Internal Administration remarked that “adversity does not show signs of departing tomorrow” and, hence, the Government decided to extend the alert situation due to fires until August 17, Sunday.
Márcia Guímaro Rodrigues | 19:02 – 14/08/2025
