The demolition of houses on the Ria Formosa islands is to continue in the coming weeks despite some long-overdue opposition from Faro's mayor.
U-turn specialist, mayor Rogério Bacalhau, weakly has suggested that the demolition programme be suspended until a new government has been formed, as the Socialist Party, the Left Bloc and allied left-wing parties are against the demolition of properties and, if the left-wing alliance ends up in government, the controversial island clearances will be scrapped.
"There is no reason in the next two or three weeks to go ahead with these demolitions, I think we should wait," said Bacalhau.
In the next few days, eight houses on Faro Island are due to be demolished by contractors instructed by Polis, the out-of-control government agency that is determined to take the islands back to ground zero in the name of ‘re-naturisation.’
This bizarre creed has involved evicting many resident fishing families to make way for luxury tourism, although the tourism aspect is denied by Polis director Sebastião Teixeira who in the past has enjoyed but a passing acquaintance with the truth.
Faro Island property owners already have applied to Loulé court for an injunction top stop the next eight demolitions, but the judge decided that Polis could take possession of the houses in preparation for their demolition.
Rogério Bacalhau claims he made a proposal to the Polis board temporarily to suspend the demolitions, but that 'government representatives' voted against him at a meeting this Monday evening. The government in this instance is represented by Polis director Sebastião Teixeira.
According to the mayor, this year nearly 100 properties along Faro beach have been flattened, while some demolitions on the Ria Formosa islands have been frustrated by owners using environmental reasons to keep Polis at bay.
The Ministry of the Environment is behind the state’s determination to rid the islands of all properties. The hundreds on the list to date represent the start of a long campaign to return the islands to nature and rid them of inconvenient fishing families, many of which can trace their island lineage back for over 200 years.
The sub-text is that the Ria Formosa islands will be cleared, the land divided up and sold off to big business for luxury hotels and resorts.
The demolition list, which was meant to include only second homes, was deeply and deliberately flawed with people’s family homes knocked down and no equivalent alternative accommodation provided.
Polis was meant to be wound up at the end of 2015 but under director Teixeira it has failed to carry out many of the allocated task in its 10 year remit. There now is a proposal to extend its mandate for another year so Polis can demolish more properties.
The main shareholders of Polis Litoral Ria Formosa is the state, with Faro, Olhão, Tavira and Loulé councils holding a minority of shares so Polis inevitably will have another year of life, then another, then another until the islands are cleared.
The Minister of the Environment needs to take a long look at the environmental damage he already has caused and set aside his legacy project in preference to sustainable living by an island population that already has threatened to resort to violence if this spiteful disaster goes any further.
The islanders are praying for an end to Polis, it already has had its life extended by one year in 2014, and for a change of government which will see the whole scheme scrapped. The remaining island properties need to be registered, they already have been legalised on Armona island, and the lives of the islanders can return to normal.
