Admiral Gouveia e Melo, Chief of Staff of the Navy and National Maritime Authority, defended this Sunday, October 22, in Portimão, that the operations to combat drug trafficking off the Algarve have been a "remarkable success" and which are based on an “efficient and effective” model.
According to Correio da Manhã (CM), Gouveia e Melo, who participated in the celebrations of Maritime Police Day and the National Maritime Authority, considered that these operations, which have brought together the Navy, Maritime Police, Air Force and also the Judiciary Police, follow a model that «best serves the Portuguese».
«Thinking of the sea as a land border is a mistake», warned Gouveia e Melo, also praising, according to the CM, the «total efficiency and effectiveness» of the Maritime Police.
«We are all too few for the Portuguese sea», he said.
This ceremony was presided over by Carlos Lopes Pires, Secretary of State for National Defense, and was attended by Isilda Gomes, mayor of Portimão, Gouveia e Melo and João Dores Aresta, commander-general of the Maritime Police and director-general of Maritime Authority.
During the event, decorations were imposed on members of the Maritime Police and the General Directorate of the Maritime Authority and a tribute was paid to deceased members who served in these entities.
Due to weather conditions, the parade of elements and resources from the Maritime Police and the General Directorate of the Maritime Authority, as well as the demonstration of capabilities and parade of nautical resources, were not held.
When marking the 184th anniversary of the Maritime Authority and the 104th anniversary of the Maritime Police, Vice Admiral João Dores Aresta highlighted that these institutions have always sought to «be close to those who use the sea, riverside communities, everyone who needs it and, with this, at the service of the Portuguese and Portugal».
Dores Aresta also stated that the main focus is to «prepare the future, without failing to respond to the demands of the present» and guaranteed that she will continue, «firmly, the process of adaptation and transformation of the General Directorate of the Maritime Authority and the Police Maritime».
For Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, it is necessary to find solutions that respond to the «total availability, spirit of sacrifice, courage and sense of duty and honor» of those who serve these institutions, carrying out «missions, often outside of ideal conditions , with risk and in a harsh environment that is the sea».
In this sense, he argued that the «model of a post-modern Navy, which includes the Navy and the National Maritime Authority, is the most appropriate for a country with limited resources given the size and opportunities/challenges that the enormous extension of waters under sovereignty or national jurisdiction entail”.
In his intervention, the Secretary of State for National Defense highlighted the importance of the link between the Maritime Police and the Portuguese Navy.
"The solid contributions to national and European security have been very deservedly recognized and valued and the merit goes entirely to the National Maritime Authority and the Maritime Police", he declared, also expressing his appreciation "for the dedication and commitment of the women and men who , when facing challenges of different kinds, they demonstrate courage, dedication and professionalism in all the missions assigned to them».
The celebrations of the Day of the Maritime Police and the General Directorate of the Maritime Authority 2023 took place from Friday to Sunday and included several activities aimed at the public, such as the exhibition of resources from the Maritime Police and the General Directorate of the Maritime Authority and baptisms at sea, on board several vessels belonging to the Maritime Police and the General Directorate of the Maritime Authority, as well as a Concert by the Banda da Armada, at the Municipal Theater of Portimão.
Comments