Portugal Safety and Security Report Wednesday 28^th June 2023

Yesterday I was discussing with an environment engineer the issue of rural fire preparedness under the context of climate change adaptation, my view being that there were short term measures and those that would take far longer to implement, and achieve the desired outcome. As far as the latter is concerned the issue of re-forestation was in my mind.

Coincidentally the Prime Minister warned yesterday that the structural reform of the forest is a “challenge for decades”, calling for time not to be wasted and defending that “everything that is done is a little step” to mitigate the risk of fire.

António Costa stressed that, “every year, the risk of fires increases with climate change”.

The Prime Minister referred that, if humanity manages to reach the targets set in the Paris Agreement – to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees until the end of the century -, the risk of forest fires in Portugal will, even so, increase six times.

For António Costa, “this is not a challenge that can be overcome this year, next year, it is a challenge for decades for the country to be able to structurally transform this forest”. “Now, when we say, ‘the challenge is for decades’, are we going to leave it for tomorrow? No, we have to accelerate today, because the more we do today, the faster we complete what can only be achieved at the end of the decade”, she stressed.

Costa said that if the structural transformation of the forest only starts in the 2030s, it will only be completed “by 2060”. “If we start now, we will start to have results in 2030, and we will have more results in 2040. Therefore, we cannot waste time”, he stressed.

The prime minister also added that “it is very important to have the means to fight fires”, but “it is much more important to prevent the risk of fire”.

To Safe Communities participation in the International wildfire Conference in May it was very clear that the focus is very much on preparedness which has indeed been our focus for some time. It is for example essential that everyone is aware if the rural fire risk, how the weather determines some aspects of the risk and what actions, we as individual can do to reduce the risk and impact such fires have on our environment and community.

Aware of the risks Safe Communities is stepping up our own actions in terms of building our own knowledge and enhancing our communications strategy in order to deliver more focused interaction with various communities. More of this shortly.

Over the last few days Portugal has begun to be affected by the smoke from the Canadian fires carry very fine particles. This is mainly at an altitude of over 1000 metres above ground so should not affect people’s health. This is confirmed by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) “clarified” yesterday that particle levels in mainland Portugal and the Azores “do not yet show” the influence, on the surface, of the cloud of smoke generated by the fires in Canada.  APA described Portugal mainland quality as “good” and the Azores as “very good”. We are monitoring this closely and if there is any worsening of the situation, we will let you know.

You may recall that in the fire in Odemira in 2021, large plumes of smoke travelled some 150 kilometres along the Algarve coast – in the case of Canada it is several thousand kilometres – giving an indicator of how intense and widespread these fire are. Again this sends a signal of the effects of climate change and as the planet becomes hotter such fires will become more common including in countries that have not experienced these “mega-fires” before.

Turning to crime prevention, with tourism increasing we would like to remind people of the importance of looking after your belongings. Please ensure you do not leave valuable items on display in cars and also ensure your home is secure when you go out. Portugal is generally a safe place, but there are criminals who look for opportunities to commit crime around. Let’s make it more difficult through adopting basic common sense precautions

Our team at Safe Communities, Susan, Antonia, Fernanda, Mike, Chris, Daniel and myself wish you a safe week ahead.

NEWS

Effects of fires in Canada still without influence on the mainland and Azores

The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) clarified today that particle levels in mainland Portugal and the Azores “do not yet show” the influence, on the surface, of the cloud of smoke generated by the fires in Canada.

In a clarification, the APA refers that the levels of particles measured against the air quality index classes remain at ‘Good’ and ‘Very Good’ in mainland Portugal and the Azores.

On Monday, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) indicated that the cloud of smoke particles from the fires in Canada had been affecting the Azores islands since Sunday, and should then extend to the mainland.

According to the IPMA, the concentrations of these pollutants are below established legal limits and, therefore, should not represent any threat to human health.

The APA explains today that it monitors, through the ‘QualAr’ system, the data measured continuously at all stations in the country, in almost real time.

“According to the data measured at the various stations in mainland Portugal and the Azores, there are, as of today, levels of particles that do not yet show the influence, at surface level, of the cloud of smoke from the fires in Canada, maintaining the order of magnitude of the levels measured within the ‘Good’ and ‘Very Good’ air quality index classes”, states that agency.

The APA also mentions that, in the archipelago of Madeira, an episode of transport of particles and natural dust has been taking place since Monday, originating in arid regions of the deserts of North Africa, which continues today, however, “the measured levels did not exceed the limit value for the protection of human health and do not represent any problem for the health of the population”.

73-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of introducing drugs in Porto prisons

The suspect was found committing the crime at the Santa Cruz do Bispo Prison, in Matosinhos. Another woman was also detained, this time at the Paços de Ferreira Prison, under identical circumstances.

The Judicial Police (PJ) detained two women suspected of introducing drugs into two prisons in the district of Porto, through the delivery of narcotics to inmates during the visiting period, it was announced this Tuesday.

In a statement, the PJ states that it detained a 73-year-old woman when she was detected delivering “a small amount of cocaine” to an inmate at the Santa Cruz do Bispo Prison, in Matosinhos, during the visiting period.

The detainee, suspected of committing an aggravated crime of drug trafficking, will now be present for the first interrogation for the application of coercive measures deemed appropriate.

The PJ adds that, recently, another woman was arrested, this time in the Prison of Paços de Ferreira, under identical circumstances.

The detainee, who on Monday saw preventive detention applied to her as a coercive measure, “managed to hand over to an inmate, her son, several drugs”, namely about 40 grams of heroin, 25 grams of hashish and a product suspected to be synthetic cannabinoids.

“The variety and quantity of the products in question indicate that they were intended for later sale inside the prison”, says the PJ.

In both cases, the PJ had the collaboration of the Prison Guard corps of the General Directorate of Reinsertion and Prison Services. 

Chega has been a common vector for more radical far-right movements – Report

Newsroom, Jun 27, 2023 (Lusa) – A US report considers that Chega has been a common vector for “more radical movements of the Portuguese extreme right”, comparing the party to groups such as the ‘Proud Boys’ or the ‘Hammerskins ‘.

The report, prepared by the Global Project against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE), from the United States, identifies 13 “hate and extremist groups” in Portugal, including Chega and Ergue-te, but also neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements such as the ‘Portugal Hammerskins’ or the ‘Proud Boys Portugal’.

In this universe, Chega is the one who dominates “increasingly” the Portuguese extreme right, indicates the report, which stresses that the party has “worked to poison the national discourse with racist, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigration and anti-gypsy rhetoric”.

“Chega, which superficially resembles typical far-right populist parties across Europe, is also the common vector for more radical movements on the Portuguese far right, including nationalists, identitarians, conspiracists, white supremacists, Salazar nostalgics, Christian nationalists and others who support authoritarianism,” it reads.

The report states that, during the pandemic, “extreme right-wing conspiracy and anti-government movements” flourished in Portugal which, with the end of the health crisis, are passing into the orbit of parties such as Chega and Ergue-te.

It is added that, over the years, Chega “had among its ranks many white supremacists, identity and neo-Nazis”.

In this context, the report considers that the rise of the party led by André Ventura “was accompanied by a significant increase in hate speech and street mobilization by the extreme right”, citing a memo from the Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights that indicates that there is an “alarmingly high” level of violence against women in Portugal, as well as an increase in “racially motivated hate crimes”.

The report also points out that there is an ongoing “trend of internationalization” in the Portuguese extreme right, with the reproduction of popular conspiracy theories in foreign movements of the radical right.