Dalila Carmo leaves an open letter to Luís Montenegro: "Our country is burning"

L uís Montenegro has been the target of numerous criticisms for the way he has dealt with the fires that continue to break out in Portugal, especially in Arganil (Coimbra) and Sátão (Viseu).

Undeterred by the desperate situations portrayed in the media this week, Dalila Carmo wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister, calling for more proactive action.

"Dear Prime Minister Luís Montenegro,

The country is burning. It was your custom to criticize the former prime minister on this matter and even demanded an apology from him to the citizens. What now, Mr. Prime Minister? Where are you? And what measures have you taken to prevent and combat forest fires? We're not listening.

I know it's August. But the country continues to burn. And thanking the 'efforts of women and many men: firefighters, Civil Protection, the GNR, forestry workers, the Armed Forces, all security forces, mayors, and many anonymous citizens' isn't enough.

"What measures have you taken to prevent us from reaching this point again? And how long will we only look at this when the scourge begins? We are deeply ashamed, Your Excellency, Prime Minister," the letter in question reads.

However, in response to a follower, the artist added: "And with the new and disastrous Land Law, the ideal is to eliminate forest and agricultural areas. Everything is thought out. Many new 'houses' will spring up. A big parenthesis for paper and cellulose, which we need rapid and inconsequential growth in the long term.

Public works are the thing. Environmental impact studies? It was our foolish, idealistic minds that invented the concept. But only those of this country. Because a large part of the civilized world has already realized what we will realize in another 50 years. Or not."

The Executive argues that it "is responding to the housing crisis by increasing the land available for construction, without compromising environmental and agricultural protection."

News to the Minute | 08:54 - 02/25/2025

It should be remembered that this Thursday, August 14, Luís Montenegro stated in a speech at the Festa do Pontal that he would not make an assessment of the fight against fires, because the country is "in the middle of a war and it is not in the middle of a war" that such a discussion takes place.

"Let's first win the war, save the people, our heritage, our country, and we'll be here to do even better in the future," he said at the time.

Read Also: Gouveia e Melo criticizes Montenegro: "Bubble of cynicism in the face of suffering"