“It is with immense sadness that the Bloco da Nazaré announces the passing of Joaquim Piló, an emblematic figure of our community, tireless fisherman, unionist, and founder of the Bloco de Esquerda,” announced the Nazaré group in a statement.
Joaquim Piló passed away at the Setúbal Hospital, where he was a patient due to a prolonged illness, confirmed an official source from BE to the Lusa agency.
“He leaves a legacy of courage, dignity, and solidarity,” states the BE in the communication that exhorts “the memory of a man who did not remain silent, who did not give up, and who was always alongside the fishermen, families, the most humble, and marginalized.”
Born in Nazaré, in the district of Leiria, where he was known by the nickname “Nada é,” Joaquim Piló was born in 1949.
He began working in construction at the age of 12 and, at 16, ventured into cod fishing, where he stood out as a boatswain in the 1970s.
For more than two decades, he led the Free Fishermen’s and Related Professions Union, where, according to BE, “he was a firm voice in numerous conflicts, denouncing the injustices of the national fleet reduction, criticizing the government’s inaction in the face of fishermen’s struggles, and always standing by communities affected by maritime crises and tragedies.” He also “pursued tirelessly for the truth about the shipwreck of the Bolama vessel,” one of the greatest disasters on the Portuguese coast.
In the political arena, Joaquim Piló was one of the founding figures of the Bloco de Esquerda and an active presence in local politics.
In 2005, he led the Bloco’s candidacy for the Nazaré City Council for the first time and ran again in 2013.
The wake will be held on Tuesday, the 19th, from 5:00 PM, at the chapel of the Amora Church. The body will be cremated on Wednesday, the 20th, from 10:30 AM, at Quinta do Conde, informed BE.
