The Civic Alliance «Save Faro, with the Heart” (SF-CFC) argues that it is important to commemorate 40 years of the Carnation Revolution, but also that it is necessary to continue “fighting for the 25th of April of development, in a region of great potential, but with many collapses” . This is the main conclusion of a reflection made by the movement on 40 years of freedom.
“For the freedom and democracy it brought, the 25th of April was worth it and important celebrations are justified. However, there is a gray side of the post-25 caused by centralism and the action of successive governments, which have not lived up to the rights and hopes of the Portuguese», considered the movement that supported José Vitorino's candidacy for the Chamber of Faro.
To «Save Faro, with Heart”, the Algarve is “the region with the greatest economic potential in the country and has competent human resources”, but despite some improvements, “there are fundamental components of the 25th of April of development that still need to be done and there are deep imbalances, with activities declining economic conditions, desertified areas, unemployment and other serious social and educational problems'.
The movement also speaks of achievements «wrought with irons», among which the University of Algarve (1979), the «true achievement of April voted in the Assembly of the Republic, against the will of the central power, as well as «water and sewage ( there were many problems) and, albeit with a long delay, the motorway to Lisbon (2002) and the Via do Infante (2003)».
«Respect for the spirit of April 25 and opening our eyes to reality leads us to conclude that delays have been overcome but new problems have arisen, with many dangers and collapses that can jeopardize sustainability: financially undercapitalized region; profound health needs (in addition to others, the new central hospital is always postponed) ; accentuated worsening of seasonality; decline in industry, fisheries (intolerably destroying the sector with aquaculture in traditional catch zones), agriculture, commerce, construction and real estate; recessive stagnation in mass tourism and uncompetitive; desertified interior and mountains; etc.', he lists.
The SF-CFC also highlights the financial difficulties experienced by the University of Algarve, in addition to criticizing the introduction of tolls, the delay in the works of the «sinister and strangling EN 125» and the postponement of an administrative region in the Algarve.
“The picture is complex, but worst of all is that the public authorities have never made the correct diagnosis, they have not paid attention to what those who have done over these 40 years have said, they remain alienated, lack political will and have no therapeutics. The Algarve is adrift, without plans, without direction and without helmsman regional structures», they conclude.
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