The socialist Alexandra Leitão, candidate for the presidency of the Lisbon City Council, lamented on Monday that the current mayor, Carlos Moedas, resorts to “personal attacks” in his campaign for the local elections and expressed being “shocked” by the “attack on the memory” of Jorge Coelho.
During an interview with SIC, Leitão highlighted the “attack on the memory of someone who cannot defend themselves,” referring to the former Minister of Social Equipment Jorge Coelho, who passed away in 2021.
“I think this was what caused indignation for many people, not just socialists. It’s about attacking the memory of a person who cannot defend themselves with something that was false,” she declared.
The controversy arises from Moedas’ refusal to resign following the derailment of the Elevador da Glória last Wednesday and his rejection of comparisons with the socialist Jorge Coelho, who resigned as minister after the collapse of the Entre-os-Rios bridge in 2001.
The Lisbon mayor indicated in another interview with SIC on Sunday that the two incidents are not comparable because Jorge Coelho’s office had been informed of the bridge’s weaknesses before the accident, whereas he had not received any such signals regarding the Elevador da Glória.
“What Carlos Moedas said here was false,” stated Alexandra Leitão. “Jorge Coelho did not resign because he was aware of anything related to the cause of the bridge’s collapse.”
“What truly shocked me was the fact that someone who is no longer alive deserves more respect,” she added.
Regarding the criticisms from Carlos Moedas accusing the Socialist Party (PS) of being “disingenuous” and “cynical,” Alexandra Leitão commented that “insults say more about the person who utters them than about who is insulted.”
Leitão reiterated that she would not request the resignation of the Lisbon mayor but demanded “a thorough clarification and accountability” for the Elevador da Glória’s derailment, which resulted in 16 deaths and over 20 injuries.
“I am not calling for Carlos Moedas’ resignation, but I am asking for – and I think that is what’s important – a thorough clarification and accountability concerning what happened,” she emphasized.
The socialist stressed the need to await the “conclusions of the report” from the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF), which “cannot be rushed.”
“It must have the serenity and technical capacity it requires. You will not hear me asking for rushed conclusions based on anything,” she remarked.
Remember, the Elevador da Glória, located in the center of Lisbon, derailed at 6:04 PM on Wednesday at Calçada da Glória. The accident resulted in 16 fatalities and over 20 injuries.
On Friday, the Judiciary Police (PJ) confirmed the nationalities of the 16 fatalities from the accident, identified scientifically in collaboration with the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences.
The deceased included five Portuguese citizens, two South Koreans, one Swiss, three British, two Canadians, one Ukrainian, one American, and one French national.
