The president of the Loures Town Council clarified the municipality’s stance on demolitions in the Talude Militar neighborhood.
In a video sent to newsrooms and also published on social media, the mayor of Loures argued that the “illegal constructions” in the Talude Bairro and similar areas “are unacceptable” and that this was neither the first nor will it be the last intervention by the council in this regard: “This was not the first intervention, nor will it be the last.”
“Illegal constructions undermine the safety, health, and dignity of the people,” he defended.
Ricardo Leão assured the continued support for those affected and accused public figures and political movements of exploiting poverty and vulnerability.
“There are movements, associations, and public figures who, under the guise of supposed solidarity, end up promoting indignity. The idea that you just need to build a shack, illegally occupy land, or install without rules to immediately get a home is profoundly dishonest towards more than a thousand families waiting for municipal housing, as well as those who comply, wait with dignity, and trust in the rules and institutions,” he said.
The socialist mayor added that since the beginning of his term, about 250 similar constructions have been demolished, all with the same objective: “to defend the safety of people.”
“What if there had been a fire? A short circuit? A tragedy? Who would be accountable? Me. As the mayor of Loures, I would be responsible,” stated Ricardo Leão.
Regarding the specific situation of the Talude neighborhood, Leão made sure to provide some data. He stated that 43% of those living in that neighborhood had an official address outside Loures municipality and that only 29 families sought social support from the municipality. To the eleven families with children, Leão said that shelter proposals were made, most of which were declined.
“Before the operation, during the operation, and after the operation, support continued and continues to be available, even though none of the affected people asked for help beforehand or were enrolled in any program,” added the mayor of Loures.
Currently, the mayor noted that there are three families housed in hotels, three being supported to secure permanent housing, and another three or four cases being evaluated in the private rental market.
“Before intervening in the Talude area, all people were informed and personally approached by the municipal services,” the mayor clarified.
It is worth remembering that one of the criticisms directed at the town council was precisely the fact that residents were notified of the demolitions on the previous Friday afternoon.
When questioned about the fact that this timing made it impossible to resort to the judicial system to contest the decision, the councilor overseeing the Municipal Police, Paula Magalhães, responded: “Well, but [during the weekend] they have time to remove their belongings, which is the objective of the notification.”
Not everyone agrees: the movement Vida Justa accuses the Loures Town Council of obstructing the residents of Bairro do Talude Militar from accessing their rights, an assessment supported by a lawyer specializing in Administrative Law.
The movement Vida Justa accuses the Loures Town Council of obstructing the residents of the Talude Militar neighborhood whose homes were demolished today, an assessment supported by a lawyer specializing in Administrative Law.
Lusa | 18:18 – 14/07/2025
Public Prosecutor Opens Inquiry into Talude Demolition
The demolition of at least 64 shacks in this Loures neighborhood, as well as the eviction of 161 residents living in precarious conditions, is under scrutiny.
On Monday, July 14, 51 precarious houses were demolished, followed by four more on Tuesday. The operation was then suspended after the Administrative Court of Lisbon accepted an injunction. This situation culminated in the Public Prosecutor opening an inquiry on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that “following the information disclosed in recent days by the media, the Public Prosecutor of the Lisbon district decided to open an investigation.”
The inquiry follows the author of the Housing Basic Law, Helena Roseta, admitting to the Lusa agency that she would be filing a complaint to the Public Prosecutor against the Loures Council for “abuse of power” in the demolition operations of precarious houses in this neighborhood.
Dozens of self-constructed houses were demolished on Monday and the following morning after an order from Loures Town Council. More than 160 people were evicted.
Teresa Banha with Lusa | 19:25 – 16/07/2025
Criticism Arises within PS
In an open letter, former government officials and PS deputies expressed “profound indignation and concern” over “the demolition of the roofs of dozens of families.”
The letter, titled “on the demolition of principles and shacks,” was released on Tuesday by “PS members and supporters,” gathering over a hundred signatures. For these socialists, demolishing shacks “without ensuring alternative, adequate, and immediate housing solutions” contradicts “constitutional and statutory principles” and “tarnishes the credibility and ethical commitment that the PS must assume before citizens.”
Even the PS parliamentary leader had something to say about the situation, acknowledging that the actions of the Loures mayor did not convey “empathy and socialism,” but argued that the episode does not undermine the socialist pillars.
Meanwhile, PS Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro stated he was informed by the Loures Council that “all precautions” were taken concerning the people affected by the demolition of illegal constructions.
“They assure me from the Loures Municipality that all precautions were made in dialogue with the respective citizens confronted with this decision. They assure me of this and, therefore, I want to believe it was so,” the PS leader told journalists in Beja.
Former government officials and PS deputies, including João Costa and António Mendonça Mendes, released an open letter expressing “profound indignation and concern” regarding what is described as a “demolition of principles and shacks.” This is not the only controversy Mayor Ricardo Leão has faced in recent months.
Carmen Guilherme with Lusa | 09:21 – 16/07/2025
Other Reactions
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has remained silent on the criticisms. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Santarém diocese, he said only that the situation “needs to be addressed effectively and sustainably” to avoid “the feeling of patching here, mending there, but the overall problem is not being solved.”
The President of the Republic advocated today that the situation of people affected by the demolition of precarious houses in a Loures neighborhood should be assessed, and effective and lasting solutions found to avoid the sense of making temporary fixes.
Lusa | 23:30 – 16/07/2025
Conversely, the presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes, who not long ago said he did not have enough information to comment, was more critical of the situation.
This Wednesday, in Santarém, the social democrat conceded that “there is indeed an illegal situation. But the Council has been complicit for years. Therefore, when it wants to carry out demolitions, it should have first found temporary, provisional accommodation and only then carried out the demolitions. In short, the opposite of what was ultimately done.”
Presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes commented on the demolition of self-constructed houses in Loures, stating that while the homes are in an “illegal” situation, the municipality was “complicit” and should have found “housing first and only then destroy it.”
Teresa Banha | 17:22 – 16/07/2025
