Chega leader Andre Ventura said on Monday that arsonists are considered “terrorists” in a country where most fires are caused by negligence.
“Whoever sets fire and destroys should be considered a terrorist. He should not be considered a common criminal,” said André Ventura today, at the start of Enough Parliamentary Days, which is taking place in Figueira da Foz.
According to the Criminal Code, terrorists are persons who seek to damage national integrity and independence, obstruct, alter or undermine the functioning of state institutions provided for by the Constitution, coerce public authorities to commit an act, refrain from committing or tolerate this practice, or even intimidate certain people , groups of people or the population as a whole.
In addition to stating that arsonists should be considered terrorists, André Ventura proposed that they be “behind bars for the rest of their lives”, offering a life sentence that does not exist in the Portuguese legal system.
According to André Ventura, despite acknowledging the lack of prevention and land clearing, the problem of fires “has a lot to do” with the lack of a “very heavy hand” on the part of the state towards those who voluntarily set fires.
According to the Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF) 6th Rural Fire Report 2021, this year only 23% of fires were caused by arson, a far cry from the 48% associated with careless use of fire. .(burnings and bonfires).
An independent technical commission that analyzed the fires in the Central Region, in a report published in October 2017, stressed that the idea that most wildfires are of criminal origin is a “myth widely propagated by the media” and “unintentionally” used in their own interests. by some politicians, which contributes to “irresponsibility in society”.
During his speech, André Ventura stated that at the time he spoke (around 4:30 p.m.), “much of the country is burning with uncontrolled fires” and “thousands of men are fighting the flames.”
At 16:30, the Civil Protection website did not record a single fire deemed significant (lasting more than three hours and involving more than 15 protective equipment and assistance), a total of 239 operatives extinguished four fires during the course.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
