Fires: Gouveia e Melo criticizes the organization of civil protection and the lack of forest management

Presidential candidate Gouveia e Melo criticized the organization of civil protection today, citing his experience in "command and control," and defended the need to think about the forest in the medium and long term.

"As a military man, I think I have something to say about command and control. Command and control lines must be fluid, simple, and direct. When they're too complex and not fluid, they put many agencies and entities on the ground under stress, and then they don't work. And when they don't work, what we Portuguese are seeing today happens," noted retired Admiral Gouveia e Melo.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to the São Mateus Fair in Viseu, the presidential candidate advocated for the creation of a medium- and long-term forest plan, not a one-year plan or short-term changes.

"These can't just be short-term actions. They can't be actions to escape the media pressure that I, the government, and the government are under, but rather truly medium- and long-term actions that will help solve the problem," he argued.