The municipality of Machico will host the traditional burning of the ‘Fachos’ tonight, after 9:30 pm, a centuries-old celebration that marks the beginning of the feast of the Blessed Sacrament, and which usually attracts both residents and visitors. However, this year, the event is taking place under a cloud of controversy, which has generated heated discussions, with many considering it to be an “insult” and a “total lack of respect” in view of the huge fire that has been raging on the island for more than 11 days.
One of the main parties to immediately come forward to call for the cancellation of the festivities was Quercus, almost a week ago, through its director Elsa Araújo. “Next weekend there will be torches being set off and we are appealing to the PSP not to authorise the setting off of fireworks”, she stressed, also requesting tighter control by the authorities.
Meanwhile, several other parties – ADN , RIR , MPT , PPM – have spoken out against it, with PAN Madeira even putting forward a public petition (which has almost 800 signatures) to put an end to the event this year, “as a sign of respect and solidarity with the firefighters who have heroically fought tirelessly to combat the fires that are devastating our island, and in homage to the vast area of territory that was tragically destroyed by the flames”.
Despite several requests for cancellation, the Machico City Council in Madeira has decided to go ahead with the traditional event, ensuring that all safety conditions are met. Ricardo Franco, the mayor, said that in previous years the event was held even when fires were raging on the island, and always withbhugh temperatures in August.