Ria Formosa islanders in receipt of a new round of demolition orders, authorised by an out-of-touch and duplicitous Ministry of the Environment, are going back to court to tackle the insistence by the State that their houses should not be there.The residents of Farol and Hangares on the island of Culatra, had been assured that their properties would not be touched as they had been recognised by the court in Loulé either as principal homes or as belonging to shellfishermen and fishermen.
The agreement with the government was that these categories would be exempt from demolition but this, like so many agreements before, has turned out to be politically expedient waffle as in mid-January, further eviction notices arrived.
The Polis Ria Formosa company is due to take legal possession of 22 properties on February 28th but again may be faced with a court freeze if the islanders can raise the money needed to lodge a blocking order.
The cost incurred by the islanders to date already is heavy but each of the 22 property owners now must raise a further €3,600 to lodge their court action, or lose their homes. This sum is out of reach of most, so fundraising has started to help those unable to pay this stiff court fee.
There will be a public debate on the "misguided, brutal, socially destructive and deliberately aggressive" actions of the Polis Litoral Ria Formosa company on Saturday, February 3rd at 10:30 am, at the ‘Os Olhanenses’ sports club.
The 22 houses in question, 12 at Farol and ten at Hangares were spared in the first wave of demolitions as they has court protection, since which the court rejected all but two of the lawsuits.
Representatives of those islanders due to lose their homes have tried in vain to communicate with the Environment Minister, João Matos Fernandes, and have received zero response, a standard tactic when the minister’s duplicity is highlighted.
