The Algarve Report  3 July 2024

 

by Mike Evans

Good afternoon to you all. We start this report with the news recently published that the “Save Water” campaign which was set up in the Algarve earlier in the year has seen a 12% reduction in water usage for those establishments that signed up to the scheme which is commendable. However, we are met with the news this week that The amount of water stored fell in June in all river basins compared to the last day of the previous month, according to data from the National Water Resources Information System ( SNIRH ).

The Barlavento Algarve basin continues to be the one with the lowest amount of reserve water, falling from 22.3% in May to 20.8% in June.

At the end of June, the Mira basins also had less water availability, with 40.5% (41.4% in May) and Arade 40.8% (42.7% in May). The amount of water also fell in the Lima basins, from 76.1% to 53.5%, and in the Sado basin, from 72.3% to 66.7%.

On the last day of June, the Mondego (91.3%), Guadiana (87.4%), Cávado (87%), Oeste (85.7%), Douro (80%) and Tejo (77.9%) basins had the highest volume of water.

According to SNIRH data, of the 58 monitored reservoirs, 28 had water availability above 80% of the total volume and another six below 40%.

June 2024 storages by river basin are higher than the June storage averages (1990/91 to 2022/23), except for the Lima, Mira, Ribeiras do Algarve and Arade basins. Each river basin may have more than one reservoir.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), almost half of mainland Portugal was experiencing weak or moderate meteorological drought at the end of May, with a greater focus on the southern region.

So whilst there are many who are giving themselves a “pat” on the back for saving water there are obviously many across the region who are happily going about using water without a care in the world! It remains to be seen if we are going to get through the summer without any restrictions but let’s hope that people start to realise this precious resource is something we all need and must be preserved and used sparingly.

Now a look at some of the other stories that have happened across the region in the past week.

16-year-old arrested for murder in Faro

A 19-year-old man died yesterday, allegedly due to stab wounds, following an argument near Faro ‘s municipal swimming pools. The alleged killer, a 16-year-old boy, was later arrested, the PSP revealed. The Faro Public Security Police Command (PSP) said, in a statement, that it was called at 6:30 pm to a “dispute between citizens” in the city of Faro.

“Upon arriving at the scene, police officers came across a male victim with trauma to the chest caused “by a sharp weapon, who was treated at the scene by emergency teams,” it reads. “However, these efforts proved fruitless and death was declared at the scene,” he added.

The Judicial Police arrested the alleged murderer, a young teenager, aged 16, due to strong evidence of the crime of qualified homicide. “The confrontation had already been previously scheduled, between a group of young teenagers”, reveals the PJ.

Aware that they were outnumbered, the group of four young people that included the victim fled, being pursued by more than a dozen other teenagers. When they separated, the victim ended up being ambushed and fatally attacked.

“The investigative steps carried out by the Southern Directorate of the Judicial Police allowed the collection of relevant evidence that led to the complete identification of those involved, including the suspect responsible for the crime”, highlights the Judicial Police.

The detainee will be brought before the judicial authority for the purposes of initial questioning and application of coercive measures.

Man suspected of murder with a knife arrested in Albufeira

A 26-year-old man was arrested on Saturday, the 29th, due to “strong evidence” of the murder of another 77-year-old man, using a bladed weapon, in Albufeira, the Judicial Police (PJ) reported.

According to a statement published on the PJ website, the victim, owner of a commercial space, “was attacked with a sharp weapon, following an argument related to debts relating to the lease of the commercial space he owned, last Thursday”.

According to the PJ, the victim’s disappearance was reported to the authorities on Friday, late in the evening. The detainee “abandoned the body inside the establishment”, and the investigation by the Southern Directorate of the PJ “found that he was preparing to hide the body”, reads the note. The PJ also reveals that it collected “relevant evidence that led to the complete identification of the suspect”.

The detainee will be brought before the judicial authorities for the first judicial interrogation and application of coercive measures.

The investigation is led by the Albufeira Department of Investigation and Criminal Prosecution.

PJ arrests six people for criminal association in the real estate sector

The Judicial Police , through the Southern Directorate, as part of an investigation initiated in 2021, carried out a police operation in which four men and two women were arrested, on suspicion of committing the crimes of criminal association, qualified fraud, money laundering and document forgery, in the real estate sector, in the Algarve .

In the operation, “Orange”, led by the Regional DIAP of Évora, seven house searches and two company searches were also carried out, dozens of properties, 14 vehicles, a vessel, computer equipment and a large collection of documentary evidence were seized.

At issue is the investigation of an organised group, with several nationalities, resident in the Algarve and with links to the diaspora in other countries, who created in our country in Portugal an economic organisation in the real estate sector, entirely fraudulently financed by bank loans. The “modus operandi” involved the creation of companies under Portuguese law, through which they acquired hundreds of properties, the ownership of which, through simulated transactions, they immediately transferred to third parties.

In their name, and using false documents, they took out housing loans with Portuguese banking institutions, in amounts much higher than the initial purchase price of the goods, appropriating the difference, in addition to the proceeds from the subsequent use of the properties as tourist and residential accommodation.

To date, more than 20 companies controlled by the various suspects identified in the investigation have been identified, through which more than 300 properties were acquired and more than two hundred fraudulent financing agreements were contracted, with a total value of around 40 million euros.

The detainees will be brought before the first judicial interrogation with a view to applying coercive measures.

GNR launches “Operation Field”

The National Republican Guard (GNR) will carry out Operation Safe Field between 1 July, 2024 and 16 February, 2025. The operation’s objective is to bring awareness, patrolling, and inspection of agricultural and forestry farms throughout the national territory, in order to repress the practice of crimes of theft of agricultural products and machinery, crimes of Human Trafficking in the workplace and prevent the occurrence of accidents with agricultural and forestry vehicles or machinery.

During the operation, the GNR intends to raise awareness among the population in general and the rural population in particular, for the adoption of behaviours that can prevent possible criminal offences, namely the theft of agricultural products and machinery and the theft of non-precious metals; identify possible situations of exploitation in the context of work, namely those that may be related to Trafficking in Human Beings and also, raise awareness on safely driving agricultural and forestry vehicles and avoiding accidents.

In this way, patrol and inspection actions will be intensified in view of the seasonality of agricultural and forestry crops in each region, directing them to the places, days, and times of greatest risk, taking into account the history of theft, and control and inspection actions will also be developed to control and supervise the transport of agricultural and forestry products at the crossing points of the land border, in coordination with the Guardia Civil to tackle cross-border crime. Awareness-raising and information actions are also carried out with owners, and local and regional entities associated with farms to promote the dissemination of advice with a view to adopting behaviours that prevent theft.

Portugal’s rural firefighting force at ‘maximum capacity

 Portugal’s rural firefighting force is being reinforced today to reach its maximum capacity, with 14,155 operatives, 3,162 teams and 3,174 vehicles on standby, with 72 aircraft.

The National Operational Directive (DON), which establishes this year’s Special Force for Fighting Rural Fires (DECIR), indicates that resources are being reinforced for the third time this year with the entry into force of the so-called ‘reinforced – Delta level’, which lasts until September 30.

Over the next three months, 14,155 personnel, 3,162 teams and 3,174 vehicles will be operational – numbers that could increase if necessary, since this year’s DECIR provides for the mobilisation of additional resources to respond to more serious situations. In this situation, the number of firefighters could exceed 20,000, a reinforcement that is made above all by volunteer firefighters.

This year’s DECIR provides for 70 aircraft for this period, which is considered the most critical, which could rise to 72 with the hiring of two heavy ‘Canadair’ aeroplanes, with the contract process still underway. Of the total number of operatives involved, the largest number belongs to the fire brigade (8,061), of which 3,794 are from Permanent Intervention Teams, followed by the ICNF (2,430), the GNR (1,946) and the Special Civil Protection Force (216), according to DON.

The firefighting force for this year has increased slightly compared to 2023, with the exception of the aerial resources, (numbers identical) – with 261 more operatives, 78 more teams and 183 more firefighting vehicles.

Provisional figures from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) indicate that 1,796 rural fires have broken out since the beginning of the year, consuming around 2,918 hectares – 56% of which refers to scrubland, 19% to forest stands and 25% to agricultural land.

In the same period in 2023, there had already been almost 4,000 fires and around 8,800 hectares burnt.

Until the next time stay safe

 

 

The Algarve Report 26 June 2024 by Mike Evans

 

A very good day to you all and welcome to this report if you are joining us for the first time. I have recently been away on holiday to Canada and one piece of news was that Canada’s 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive ever recorded. By September 5, more than 6,132 fires had torched a staggering 16.5 million hectares of land. To put that in perspective, that’s an area larger than Greece. As we get into the fire season here in Portugal we should be aware that this is a universal problem and there is a huge amount of co-operation between the countries to combat these fires but it needs everyone’s help to be sure of combating these events.

With the weather getting hotter and wind increasing in the Algarve we must all be on our guard and report any signs of smoke or flames at the earliest opportunity rather than waiting for someone else to do it. So far this year the Algarve has been pretty quiet regarding fires but the season has only just begun so please be aware. One new initiative has been happening in Portimao with The program “School and Risks… Prepare to Protect!” Throughout the 2023/2024 academic year, it carried out several awareness-raising actions in public and private schools, in the municipality of Portimão, reaching 13 thousand students and 600 teaching and non-teaching staff.

The activity implemented by the Municipal Civil Protection Service (SMPC) of Portimão in 2014, in the current academic year organised 229 awareness-raising actions.

These actions were adapted to each level of education, covering aspects such as the use of the number 112, calling for help, dangerous materials, natural and technological risks in the region, basic life support, railway risks and defence of the forest against fires. A great initiative that we at Safe Communities wholeheartedly support.

Now for a look at what other stories have been happening across the region.

Judicial Police records an average of 3000 new sexual crimes per year

The Judiciary Police (PJ) records an average of around 3,000 sexual crimes per year and around 500 new victims of this type of crime every quarter, according to the deputy national director of the PJ.

“We are having quarterly contact – we carry out this control every quarter – with around 500 new victims of sexual crimes every quarter. We are having annual contact with around 3000 sexual crime situations per year”, declared Carlos Farinha, during a seminar on violence promoted by the Chamber of Faro.

Violence in a sexual context is an issue that “has greatly concerned” the PJ and which led to the creation, in 2022, of a Sexual Crime Observatory within the police force. To better understand this reality, a “separation was made between face-to-face and online crimes and between crimes against children and crimes against adults”. The PJ also sought to “study and monitor new manifestations, trends or signs in unaccounted areas, such as [crimes] associated with religion, sport and gyms”, he explained. Carlos Farinha reinforced the importance of reporting sexual crimes to police entities, highlighting that often using social media “may not be enough to reach the system”. According to him, the problem of signalling and early signalling continues to be a problem of particular importance.

The deputy national director of the PJ also warned that urban violence has had “an effective and worrying growth” in Portugal, associating this increase with the youth of those involved and the futility of motivations, specifying as the main reason “there are more and more young people involved in the issue of urban violence”.

Furthermore, he added, “there are more and more people with more futile reasons for urban violence”, situations that “escalate even further when they are fueled by the use of firearms”.

GNR arrest 6 and seize thousands of drug packets

 The National Republican Guard (GNR) seized more than 33 thousand doses of drugs and detained six people during an operation to combat drug trafficking that took place on Monday in Loulé, Tavira and Faro.

The operation culminated in an investigation initiated a year ago by the Criminal Investigation Center (NIC) of Loulé of the GNR, motivated by the “feeling of insecurity in the community of Tôr”, in the municipality of Loulé, specified the Territorial Command of Faro of the GNR in a statement.

According to the same security force, the investigation “allowed the establishment of a network of trafficking, distribution and sale of narcotic products” that allegedly carried out criminal activity in the Algarve region. In total, six people were arrested, five men and one woman, aged between 39 and 58, and 32,492 doses of hashish, 593 of cocaine and 11 of marijuana were seized.

“The operation consisted of a fixed device that guaranteed the monitoring of the suspects, with the approaches and arrests carried out in various locations in the municipalities of Loulé, Faro and Tavira”, stated the Guard.

The GNR also seized two firearms, two compressed air weapons, a crossbow, eight vehicles, various communications equipment, counterfeit notes and more than seven thousand euros in cash.

The six detainees will be presented to the Court of Faro to be heard in the first judicial interrogation.

The operation involved a total of 54 soldiers from the criminal investigation, the intervention detachment, the Coastal and Borders Control Unit, and had the support of the Public Security Police (PSP).

10 detained in Drug Raid in Portimao and Lagoa

Dozens of PSP agents are, this Monday, June 24th, carrying out searches in Portimão and Lagoa as part of the fight against drug trafficking. 10 people have already been detained.

In total, around 20 searches have been carried out, both at home and outside the home.

These searches were the result of an investigation that had been ongoing for approximately a year, with the aim of combating drug trafficking in the region, particularly in the municipalities of Portimão, Lagoa, Silves and Lagos, explains the PSP.

So far, 10 people have been arrested and three have been charged with the crimes of drug trafficking, possession of a prohibited weapon and receipt.

The search actions led to the seizure of “significant quantities”, including cocaine and hashish, as well as thousands of euros in cash.

This action involved dozens of PSP elements, also counting on the operational support of the Republican National Guard (GNR).

Municipalities in the Algarve recognized for the “Quality of Senior Physical Activity Programs”

 The municipalities of Alcoutim, Faro, Lagoa and Portimão received recognition for “Quality of Senior Physical Activity programs”, by the company Cidade Social , last month.

This recognition implies the preparation of an application, based on a regulation that determines the requirements and, to maintain recognition, the frequency of a training session and the establishment of an improvement plan. These programs constitute systematic approaches for municipalities in an age range of the population that is increasingly growing as a percentage of the entire Portuguese population.

“It is increasingly important for Portuguese Municipal Councils to create programs and activities for this segment of the population, in order to improve their quality of life”, reveals Pedro Mortágua Soares, CEO of Cidade Social – the entity that awarded the recognition and awards to Portuguese municipalities. This is just one of the specific recognitions given to local authorities in the Faro district, however, in November last year 11 of the 16 municipalities were recognized as “Sports Friendly Municipalities”: Alcoutim, Castro Marim, Vila Real de Santo António, Tavira, Faro, Loulé, Albufeira, Silves, Lagoa, Portimão and Lagos.

Some were visited by the program’s national coordinating entity, as happened in recent days. During these visits, analyses were carried out on some technical aspects, opportunities for improvement were identified and good practices implemented by these municipalities were shared.

Participation in the Município Amigo do Desporto program is dependent on compliance with a set of requirements in terms of the activity of municipal councils in the area of ​​sport.

The Município Amigo do Desporto program is a training program, sharing of good practices, recognition and networking.

In the month of May, the councils of Portimão and Lagos were also visited, which are part of the Solidarity Local Authorities program, which works along the same lines as the Sports program, but within the scope of municipal Social Action.

In the case of the Portimão municipality, Cidade Social recognized two entities that work within the scope of social intervention for people with disabilities, APPDA – Algarve and Teia D’ Impulsos, recognizing the merit of their interventions in society and the impact they have had in the last years. Cidade Social, founded in 2014, is a company specialising in training and benchmarking in the areas of sport, culture and social action. It has three brands – “Município Amigo do Desporto”, “Autarquia Solidária” and “Sports Friendly Hotel”.

Until the next time Stay Safe.

 

 

 

 

 

The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 29th May 2024

by Mike Evans

We start this report with the news that across the whole of Portugal there have been 49 drownings so far this year. As we move into summer we can expect this number to increase as people still do not seem to take the issue of bathing seriously. In April, The president of the Portuguese Federation of Lifeguards (FEPONS) defended that the bathing season “cannot be restricted to summer only” and advocated an increase in water safety education.

Alexandre Tadeia reacted in this way to the various drowning situations recorded during one weekend on Portuguese beaches, which led the National Maritime Authority to carry out 249 rescues over three days, with three people subsequently drowning. According to Alexandre Tadeia, “The first measure that must be taken is that the bathing season cannot be restricted to just the summer, it has to be much more dynamic, just like the fire season. It has to be all year round because we use the beaches all year round”. Alexandre Tadeia realised a long time ago that, “with climate change, there would be periods of heat outside what is normal” and recalled that, in 2020, through a study, FEPONS managed to “correlate the rise in temperature with deaths by drowning.”

“This means that, when the temperature rises, deaths increase as well. Now, when we saw the predictions of heat waves, it is obvious that we saw them with scepticism, because obviously the beaches are not monitored and this is perhaps the first measure that should be taken”, he stated.

 We recently ran a post on our Facebook page which highlighted again the danger of rip currents and the response was amazing and we reached over 620,000 people which shows that people are concerned and it is good to see that one of our local councils, Lagos, The “Surf & Rescue” project takes place for the first time in Lagos , through training, on May 29th, at Porto de Mós Beach, combining surfing and water rescue.

This action is developed in partnership between the Portuguese Surf Schools Association and the Shipwreck Aid Institute, with the common objective of saving lives.

Within the scope of the project, training is provided, from the north to the south of the country, with a theoretical and practical component aimed at surfers, surf school coaches and lifeguards who, over the course of seven hours of training, will be equipped with skills to help drowning victims and how to act in situations where they may be in danger. At the same time, the training grants participants 1.4 credit units to revalidate the Professional Title of Sports Coach, issued by the IPDJ (Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth). Let’s hope that more councils take up this initiative in the future.

Now a look at what has been happening across the Algarve in the past week.

Food Bank Collects over 100 tons of food

The Algarve Food Bank Against Hunger collected 113.16 tonnes, in its latest solidarity campaign to collect food from supermarkets, held this weekend. A total of 113.16 tonnes of food were collected from 110 commercial areas and two warehouses.

As in previous years, the food raised will begin to be distributed this week to 128 charitable institutions. Around 19,751 people with proven food needs will receive hampers or prepared meals.

3 Men arrested for Robbery in Albufeira remanded in custody.

The Public Prosecutor of the second section of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action of Portimão ( DIAP ) presented three men to court, on May 22, for the first judicial interrogation, after their arrest. The 20-year-old and two 24-year-old detainees are heavily accused of robbery crimes.

The events occurred in May this year, in Portimão. On two separate occasions, one of the men took the cell phones of two victims, who were walking on the street, and escaped in a car where the other two detainees were.

Subsequently, the defendants accessed the “Revolut” card that was installed on one of the cell phones they seized and made two bank transfers to an account belonging to one of the detainees; respectively, worth €900.00 and €950.00. The Public Prosecutor requested the preventive detention of the three detainees, which was determined by the Criminal Investigation Judge.

The investigation was carried out by the Albufeira territorial detachment of the National Republican Guard.

Woman injured after being run over in VRSA

A woman was injured this Thursday, May 23rd, following a collision in Bairro do Matadouro, in Vila Real de Santo António.

From what JA was able to determine, the victim was immobilised by the Vila Real de Santo António and Castro Marim Fire Department and was transported to a hospital unit.

There were nine operatives at the scene of the incident, assisted by three vehicles. The GNR took charge of the incident.

Two new teams reinforce fire fighting service in the region

The Algarve will have another permanent intervention team and another of Forestry Sappers in the Special Rural Fire Fighting Device (DECIR) of 2024, which also increases compensation for firefighters, Civil Protection announced today.

These are the “significant changes” planned for 2024 by the Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command , which highlighted in a statement the contribution of the new permanent intervention team for the district of Faro, which brings the number of these teams in the region to 36, compared to 2023.

The Algarve Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command (CREPCA) also highlighted that the rural firefighting device will this year include the addition of a team of Forestry Sappers, which will be “operationalized in the municipality of Silves”. It is also planned to increase the compensation awarded to firefighters who join DECIR by 6.10 euros, with the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) supporting an additional 3.10 euros and the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL) 3, 00 euros, he quantified.

“Surveillance and inspection actions will also be brought forward in areas historically most vulnerable to rural fires” and means of initial attack and/or expanded attack will be pre-positioned” in strategic pre-positioning locations, in addition to “another firefighting group being constituted ”.

For the initial attack, an “initial dispatch will be made, within two minutes after the alert, in triangulation of ground combat resources, coming from the three fire departments closest to the identified location, combining three firefighting teams from the aforementioned units and a logistical team to support the fire department’s combat with primary responsibility for action in the respective area of ​​activity”. CREPCA indicated that “the closest initial attack aerial means and respective heli transport team will also be activated simultaneously, if available, or, whenever the fire is located in a priority parish, or even, in areas of high danger, The two closest initial attack air assets will be dispatched, for combined intervention by more than one initial attack air asset.”

“At the same time, the GNR’s forestry information maintenance and exploration team, permanently in the CREPC’s SALOC [joint operations room], uses the means and teams of the surveillance, detection and first intervention device that operate in the respective area where they are located. develops the incident”, said Civil Protection.

CREPCA added that, “given that, in recent years, as a result of a continuous process of lessons learned, the measures implemented have proven to be fruitful”, the option for DECIR 2024 was to focus on “consolidating temporary parking bases for means of combat in strategic locations, with high danger of rural fire, for pre-positioning and logistical support of immediate reinforcement units”.

Two firefighting brigades will be pre-positioned, one in the windward (west) and the other in the leeward (east), and two firefighting groups from the Algarve Fire Brigade and the extended attack company of the Emergency Protection Unit will be mobilised. Help (UEPS) from GNR.

The device continues to have two reconnaissance and situation assessment teams at regional level, operated by the Fire Department, at the request of the Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command (CREPC).

It also integrates the 16 teams for reconnaissance and assessment of the situation in forest fires at municipal level, coordinated by the respective Municipal Civil Protection Services and with a tactical team for engaging track machines operated by firefighters qualified for the purpose, which will be reinforced this year.

The emphasis will also continue to be placed on “the close relationship with Parish Councils in the most vulnerable areas,” he concluded.

And finally, to end this report we bring you the news of the celebrations that will happen in Portimao which celebrates its 100th Anniversary as a city.

Marches, art and gastronomy mark Portimão’s centenary

Next month, the city’s 100th anniversary celebrations continue with a range of activities for everyone.

The city of Portimão will have a diverse program of activities, as part of the city’s centenary, next June, with emphasis on popular marches and “three innovative projects that invite everyone to leave their mark on art, gastronomy and in music”, highlights the municipality in a statement.

The theme “100 Years of the City” will inspire the Popular Marches, whose common identity and creativity will be highlighted in five parades, with the participation of more than a thousand people.

On the 1st of June, at 10pm, the Portimão Arena begins the 23rd edition of the Popular Marches, with the first parade. After this initial event, they will march, always starting at 10pm, in the following order: June 7th – football field at the Mexilhoeira Grande Sports Complex; June 14th – Alvor riverside area; June 16th – Montes de Alvor Sports Pavilion; June 21st – Praia da Rocha, next to the Santa Catarina Fortress; June 28th – Portimão riverside area, next to the Clube Naval, where the traditional apotheosis will take place.

The Santos Populares festivals will also return to Praça da República on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 28th of June, from 7pm to 1am, with various food and drink stalls operating in addition to the musical entertainment, run by cultural and playground.

Art and gastronomy

The month will also be marked by the projects “100 Years, 100 Sardines” and “100 Years, 100 Flavors”.

According to the municipality, “the urban art project “100 Years, 100 Sardines” highlights one of Portimão’s most iconic ex-libris and aims to select 50 proposals created by “Picasso” candidates, who must download the respective template here , where additional information can be consulted”.

After the submission process, the 50 chosen images will join the panel of fifty invited artists, including graphic designers, illustrators, tattoo artists, photographers, painters, etc., thus totaling one hundred small works of art, which could be explored by everyone, allowing through individual QR Codes to discover many historical curiosities about the municipality.

As for the “100 Years, 100 Flavours’ ‘ project, it challenges restaurants to sign up to a special itinerary, which will run from September 13th to October 13th, creating a dish worthy of this centenary celebration, in the Chef, Tasting and Sweet categories. Organised by the Teia de Impulsos association, the itinerary will have a solidarity aspect, through the purchase of a guide, at a unit price of 1.5 euros, the funds of which are intended to support non-profit institutions in the municipality.

Music as a unifying element

The “Musical Laboratories” project, which is part of the artistic program created by Lavrar o Mar – Cooperativa Cultural, will be presented on June 13th, starting at 6pm, at the Portimão Museum. Guitars, winds and voice are the components of the “Musical Laboratories”, aimed at professionals and amateurs in Portimão, from the age of 6, who wish to rediscover the pleasure of playing together, for which they must register in advance and free of charge by 21 of June.

Musicians Pedro Salvador, Johannes Krieger and Margarida Mestre will be the mentors and organise sessions between July and December.

Still in the musical component, the highlight is the recital “Cantigas Sefarditas em Homage to the Poet João Pinto Delgado”, which will take place from 9pm on June 15th at the Teatro Municipal de Portimão, with a performance by singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Eduardo Ramos , which will be accompanied by the Arabic lute. Theatrical project “This is my city and I want to live in it”

During the first fortnight of June, the artistic director of the Teatro do Vestido collective will be in Portimão carrying out intensive research, aiming for the presentation in December of the theatrical project “This is my city and I want to live in it – Portimão Edition”.

The solo dance show and new circus “Horizon”, initially scheduled for the 1st and 2nd of June, was postponed until an opportune date, due to the injury of the artist Chloé Moglia.

Air Force blows out 72 candles in Portimão

Finally, from June 29th to July 7th, the Portuguese Air Force will celebrate 72 years of service to the country, in Portimão through a series of events, including exhibitions, recreational activities, competitions, unique experiences such as flight baptisms, aerial displays , popular concerts by his band and, mainly, a military ceremony of great impact.

Until the next time, enjoy the sunshine but stay safe.

 

The Algarve Report Wednesday 22 May 2024

 

By Mike Evans

As we approach the summer season, it is good to hear that many of the areas along the coast of the Algarve have received their flags of quality for the beaches and the water.

Quercus – National Association for Nature Conservation awarded the “Golden Quality” award to the sea water of several beaches in Portimão: Rocha, Três Castelos, Careanos, Barranco das Canas, Vau, Alvor-nascente and Alvor-poente.

The main criterion for this distinction is that the water quality must have been “excellent” in the last five bathing seasons, from 2019 to 2023, based on analyses carried out in the laboratories of the different Regional Hydrographic Administrations, especially in terms of bacterial indicators. According to Quercus there are 59 beaches across the Algarve which have been awarded these flags. In addition to the award, all beaches in the municipality bear the Blue Flag, for fulfilling a set of criteria related to “information and education and environmental management, bathing water quality, safety and services, social responsibility and community involvement”.

On a general comment, the temperature of the sea is still pretty low and anyone venturing into the sea for a dip should be aware of the dangers of getting cramp as well as the possibility of Rip currents, a topic we recently spoke about on Facebook and reached almost 700,000 people so if you are not sure how to spot a rip current please check our Facebook site and search for Rip Currents.

Now for a look at what else has happened in the past week across the Algarve.

Food Bank calls for “unity and help” from the population

The Algarve Food Bank is preparing to carry out another solidarity food collection campaign, on the 25th and 26th of May, across the region.

To participate in the campaign as a volunteer, interested parties can register at this website:   https://registo.appia-ipss.pt/ Registration is mandatory and must be repeated for each campaign.

Nuno Cabrita Alves, president of the Algarve Food Bank, calls for “everyone’s unity and help in this cause”. The person responsible emphasises that “one hour of your day will make a difference in the lives of thousands of families”. In a statement, this institution highlights that “volunteers are essential in any of the 130 stores, spread across all municipalities in the region, where it is necessary to distribute bags and, later, receive food with donations. In the Faro and Portimão warehouses, help is essential to unload food and separate it, fold bags, among other tasks”.

In addition to the volunteers, Nuno Cabrita Alves reinforces that more food donations are also needed. Help can be provided in stores with food or vouchers, but also here, with food donations or through financial support, from May 24th to June 2nd. All companies in the food sector, such as producers, industry and distributors can send their surpluses to the institution.

GNR arrests woman for drug trafficking in Monte Gordo

A 26-year-old woman, suspected of drug trafficking, was arrested on Sunday by the Republican National Guard (GNR) in Monte Gordo, in the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António , it was announced on Monday.

The woman was arrested after “demonstrating suspicious behaviour” when approached by the military during a patrol action carried out in the town of Monte Gordo, the GNR said in a statement.

According to that security force, the suspect who was travelling on an electric bicycle had 16 individual doses of hashish in her possession. In subsequent investigations, the GNR found that the suspect “had more narcotic products” in the house where she lived with her 26-year-old boyfriend, who was identified.

In total, authorities seized 730 individual doses of hashish, 84 doses of MDMA (synthetic drug also known as ‘ecstasy’) and around 200 euros.

The two suspects were named defendants and the case was sent to the Judicial Court of Vila Real de Santo António.

Preventive arrest for vehicle theft suspect

A 45-year-old man, arrested by the National Republican Guard (GNR) last Thursday on suspicion of vehicle theft in the Algarve municipalities of Lagos and Portimão, was remanded in pre-trial detention, it was announced on Monday.

The information was revealed, in a statement, by the Faro Territorial Command of the GNR, and the most serious coercive measure was decreed on Friday by the Court of Lagos.

The suspect’s arrest was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Unit (NIC) of the GNR of Portimão, as part of an investigation that began on May 1 and originated from a vehicle theft, the GNR reported. According to the security force, police investigations found that the suspect, in addition to stealing items from vehicles, used the victims’ bank cards to make purchases and withdraw money.

57 People Arrested in the Algarve during Road Campaign

During the week of 13 to 19 May, 155 accidents were recorded in the Algarve, resulting in 2 deaths, 3 serious injuries and 33 minor injuries. The GNR carried out a series of operations in the district of Faro, in the week, which aimed to prevent and combat violent crime, as well as road inspections.

In a statement, the National Republican Guard (GNR) said it arrested 57 people, including 17 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 13 for driving without a legal licence, and 5 for drug trafficking. Security forces also seized 818 doses of hashish, 61 doses of cocaine, 4 cell phones, and 2 precision scales.

Fatal accident sees driver and vehicle burnt near Almancil

A violent accident early this morning on the EN125 near Almancil saw the driver of a Spanish-plated Range Rover SVR V8 completely carbonised, within the vehicle, and only had a driver’s seat. It appears to have been carrying a large stash of hashish.

According to reports, three men wearing hoodies were seen removing some of the contents from the burning wreckage to another vehicle, before ‘fleeing’ at speed.

Eye witnesses have given accounts of everything they saw to GNR police, who have handed the main case to PJ judicial police.

GNR agents were able to recover at least 10 kilos of hashish (albeit charred) from the vehicle, which had otherwise been utterly destroyed.

According to reports, the unidentified driver was “caught in the blazing wreckage”. Whether he died as a result of the initial crash, or the fire (or something else), may never be fully established. The accident took place in the early hours: the Spanish-plated Range Rover hit a pillar at the viaduct off the EN125 giving access to Quarteira.

It is still unclear whether the driver had any connection to the three men who removed items from the crashed car, or indeed, what circumstances may have led to the accident. Some accounts in the media have suggested the Range Rover may have been being pursued by the car carrying the three men before it so catastrophically hit the viaduct pillar.

Tourist dies shortly after arriving at Faro Airport

A 70 year old Belgian tourist arriving from Brussels on Monday evening, died after feeling unwell and suffering a cardiac arrest near the airport’s arrival gate.

According to Portuguese TV channel TVI, the woman travelled alone on a Transavia flight to Faro, and was initially assisted by the airport’s medical emergency teams and a resuscitation vehicle from INEM. However, it was not possible to “reverse her condition of cardiorespiratory arrest, even after several attempts at resuscitation.”

The woman’s death was declared at 6:50pm, and PSP contacted the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as the death occurred in a public place and the cause was undetermined. It was only around 10:00 pm that the order was given for the body to be removed from the location.