Farmer Luís Dias, who had been on a hunger strike for several days near the prime minister’s official residence, was admitted to São José Hospital in Lisbon on Thursday, where he remains under observation, a Lusa hospital source said.
According to the source from the Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Central (CHULC), of which the São José Hospital is a part, Luís Dias was this Friday morning in the observation room of the emergency department.
On Thursday, the sole deputy of Livre, Rui Tavares, questioned the prime minister, António Costa, in parliament about Luís Dias, who had been on a hunger strike for several days next to the official residence of the head of government, in São Bento. . .
In response, in the general policy debate in parliament regarding the country’s student accommodation crisis, Prime Minister António Costa said he has been in contact with Luís Dias “several times over the years that he has been in demonstrations”. however, he stated that the government “has nothing to do to respond to this situation.”
Before the protest of some seats, the prime minister responded: “You are not right, there is nothing to do, it is very simple,” he said.
The agricultural owner had already been on a hunger strike in front of the Palácio de Belém, in Lisbon, a protest that lasted about 30 days and ended on June 6, 2021, after receiving a visit from supporters and speaking with the President of the Republic, Marcelo . Rebel of Sousa.
At the time, the 49-year-old farmer said he was on strike “against the destructive indifference of the state”, which he claimed had damaged his agricultural project.
The history of Luís Dias, as reported by Público at the time, dates back to 2015, when he submitted to the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Center (DRAPC) a request for financial aid to proceed with a blackberry farm in Quinta da Zebreira, in Castelo Branco.
The request would be rejected because, according to the DRAPC, there were no bank guarantees.
The farmer would later appeal to the European Court of Auditors, which agreed with him, stating that bank guarantees could not be required.
In 2017, after bad weather destroyed his farm, he again asked DRAPC for help and funds to compensate for weather damage, but was again denied support.
Two years later, Luís Dias appealed to the Ombudsman and, at that time, the Ministry of Agriculture considered, in an order, that Quinta da Zebreira could have access to State funds, but never made any payment.
In January of this year, Luís Dias announced that he would go on a hunger strike again, accusing the government of “extreme bad faith”, after being received by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“The boycott and the repeated arrogance of the State took everything from me. The only thing left to me, besides the reason that the State recognizes but does not repair, is my dignity. I will not give up […] If you want to discuss this with me and finally restore justice, which is entirely in your hands, I will be camped on a hunger strike outside your residence, starting next Friday,” he said in an open letter sent to the Prime Minister at the time. Minister minister, to whom Lusa had access.
Source: Observadora
