Lisbon, Sept. 27 (Lusa) – Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world and, according to the Minister of Internal Administration, the security climate creates an environment conducive to attracting foreign investment and securing more residents from other European countries.

Constança Urbano de Sousa was the guest of a lunch organized by the Portuguese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry with businessmen, in which she spoke of the area of ​​security, fight against terrorism and transnational crime, increased flow of immigrants and refugees, investment increase in the number of residents and “good cooperation” between Portugal and Spain.

“Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world and since 2008 we have witnessed a very sustained and continuous decline in general crime, with a reduction between 2008 and 2016 of 21% less and violent and serious crime of 32% in this time period” , revealed the minister.

In the first half of the year, provisional data indicate that the downward trend continues in comparison with the same period of last year, in the order of 9%.

“The various international indexes rank us third as one of the safest countries in the world,” she said.

In Portugal there is a climate of security and public tranquility that has allowed, according to Constança Urbano de Sousa, the country’s economic development and investment, both of which have “an enormous added value in terms of competitiveness and economic and financial recovery.

Three men of Spanish nationality were detained in Olhão by the Maritime Police after being caught picking casuleta (a small ell), which they intended to sell in Spain. Seized 3.6 kilograms of cocoons that had already been illegally caught.

“Two weeks ago there was suspicion of this practice in the Ria Formosa area, and an investigation was initiated by the Olhão Maritime Police, which culminated in the three suspects being caught in the act. This type of activity is a threat to this species in the Ria Formosa, according to the National Maritime Authority.

For this infraction, the three detainees will be fined in a value ranging between €150 and €5000. The utensils that they were using for the picking of the casuleta were also seized.

The BPM Festival that runs between Thursday, the 14th, and Sunday, the 17th, in the counties of Portimão (Praia da Rocha) and Lagoa, has already sold 9500 tickets sold. Civil protection/police are mounting an operation involving 115 personnel and 21 vehicles, to ensure the safety and security of participants at the event.

The final meeting of coordination with the promoters of the festival took place this Monday and had the participation of “all agents of Civil Protection”, says the Chamber of Portimão.

The Municipality says that it “intends and demands” that the BPM Festival be safe, “independently of the seven different places where it will take place (six of which are located in the Municipality of Portimão and one in the Municipality of Lagoa, in the Arade Congress Center).

According to the local authority, “the festival is expected to involve 15,000 people, including customers and organizations, with a maximum sales ceiling of 12,000 tickets, of which 9500 already sold, in ten different countries”.

The Civil Protection operation for the BPM Festival involves the Portimão Firefighters, the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), the Portuguese Red Cross (CVP), the Maritime Authority / Maritime Police (AM / PM), the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Republican National Guard (GNR).

The BPM is one of the biggest electronic music festivals in the world and takes place for the first time outside of Mexico. On the last occasion, in the Mexican town of Playa del Carmen in January, a shootout involving drug cartels killed five people and wounded another 15, which is one of the reasons for its move overseas.

Very good news is that Angela Morado, Proconsul at the British Vice Consulate in Portimão, has been presented with an Honorary MBE, awarded to her by Her Majesty the Queen, in recognition of “her significant contribution to relations between the United Kingdom and Portugal”.

The award was formally presented by the British Ambassador to Portugal, Kirsty Hayes, at a reception on 29^th September in Portimão.

The Ambassador said in tribute: “Angie has proved herself to be a consummate professional in dealing tenaciously with hundreds of consular cases, and providing exemplary support to many distressed and vulnerable British nationals.

“Angie always sees each and every person as an individual, an essential skill in consular work, where each person has a set of unique, personal circumstances, even if the type of situation is one she has dealt with many times before.

“She has a seemingly limitless supply of empathy and compassion for fellow human beings, often facing up to the worst situation in their lives in a foreign country, sometimes alone, where they don’t speak the language or understand the norms”.

At Safe Communities Portugal it has been my great pleasure to work with Angie over a period of nearly 5 years. During this time she has provided constant support to our work, in dealing with individual cases, presenting at seminars and undertaking several joint projects.

She is one of the most passionate and dedicated persons it has been my pleasure to meet, and this award is really well deserved. It was my honour to be there at the presentation.

The Ambassador outlined in her speech Angie’s tremendous contribution and her overseas deployment sometimes at short notice dealing with crisis and assist British nationals in the countries concerned.

In October 1988, she started working for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the British Consulate in the Algarve, having been advised about the job vacancy by her previous employer, Zita Neto, Director of the language school Interlingua in Portimão. The British Consulate was just up the road from the school.

“I was interviewed by the then Honorary British Consul, Dr José Pearce de Azevedo, to whom I am ever grateful for teaching me the Portuguese I am able to read, write and speak today,” she says.

Having started as a consular support officer, she was promoted to consular assistant in 1994. With the retirement of her former colleagues Ron Underwood and Zefita Azevedo, she was promoted to Proconsul and then appointed Vice Consul in 2004.

She has served under seven consuls. Commenting on her MBE award, Roger Nuttall, the British Consul in the Algarve between 2000 and 2005, who now lives in retirement in England, said: “Among former colleagues in my 40 plus years in the Diplomatic Service, Angela Morado was simply the best consular officer I ever worked with. She was conscientious, professional, and wonderful with the public, British and Portuguese alike. I wish we could clone Angela for every consular job in the Service”.

Angela’s own reaction to the MBE award: “I am truly honoured for the recognition and proud to work for this organisation that has provided me with so many opportunities in my career to learn and develop and to travel.

“Above all it is the great job satisfaction I have every day in being able to help vulnerable people. Within the consulate we have a saying that “there is never a dull day” and this makes my job exciting.

“I have always worked with fantastic teams who have been supportive especially when dealing with the more complex cases.

“It is a luxury these days to be able to say that I get paid for the job that I love doing

The fire that broke out on the afternoon of 6^th September in Barranco da Vacaa, Aljezure municipality was started, by “the maintenance and cleaning of EDP cables”, according to José Amarelinho, Mayor of Aljezur.

The mayor informed media that “one of the workers of the contractor, or subcontractor, with a brush cutter, must have caused a spark that started the fire. The causes will still be investigated, but that is what I am aware of for now. ”

For the Mayor of Aljezur, added that the rapid response of the combat forces was “decisive” in putting out the fire”

The fire broke out at 2:43 pm and, in addition to the aerial means, 121 firefighters from six areas, supported by 30 vehicles, participated in the operation.

The first stone of the building that will host the District Command of Relief Operations of Faro will be launched on Wednesday, September 13, at 12 noon in Loulé. The infrastructure will be built next to the Loulé Fire Station and the Permanent Service Helicopter Base (heliport) in Loulé.

The work will cost one million euros and has a lead time of 540 days. Its execution results from a protocol signed in 2015 between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Câmara de Loulé.

According to the Câmara de Loulé, the building, is located next to the Fire Department, thereby creating a highly operational protection and rescue centre “.