The presidential candidate Gouveia e Melo criticized the organization of civil protection today, citing his experience in “command and control,” and emphasized the need for long-term forest planning.
“Regarding command and control, being military, I believe I have something to say. Command and control lines must be fluid, simple, and direct. When they are too complex and involve many agencies and entities on the ground under stress, they fail, and when they fail, we see the results we are witnessing,” stated Admiral Gouveia e Melo in reserve.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to the São Mateus Fair in Viseu, the presidential candidate advocated for a medium and long-term forest plan rather than changes every year or short cycles.
“They can’t just be short-term actions. They shouldn’t merely respond to media pressure that I’m under, the Government, governance, but truly medium and long-term actions to help solve the problem,” he argued.
These actions, Gouveia e Melo explained, should be based on three points: creating an economy for forests to make them profitable; revamping the interior and giving it greater significance; and finding new ways to prevent and combat incidents when they occur.
“And we must persist in these actions. I can’t design a set of actions that seem good, then forget them after a year,” he criticized.
In his view, over time, investment in these actions wanes as the forest lacks sufficient fuel, leading to “five or six years of calm before a cataclysm occurs” due to climate change.
“And in that cataclysm, the origins are forgotten. Those origins were seven, six, or five years ago. So, it’s also unfair to harshly criticize this Government right away because it needs time to implement measures,” he said.
Regarding the current situation, Gouveia e Melo noted that “the first step has been taken, which was correcting the attitude,” referring to the end of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s vacation.
He reiterated the importance of “medium and long-term measures in addition to short-term ones” that cannot be neglected “just because the stress and media agenda have passed.”
“We can’t revert to this. We must have courage, once and for all,” he stressed.
