Government Denies Denial: Canadair Aircraft Confirmed for Madeira Firefight

Government Stance on Canadair Arrival

In the region of Pico do Areeiro, just one day after the confirmation of Canadair aircraft deployment to combat the ongoing fire in Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque firmly stated that the government did not deny the news reported by DIÁRIO. This report highlighted the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, which facilitated the arrival of two aircraft to extinguish the blaze.

"We did not deny anything. What we needed first was to adjust and understand the operational theater," Albuquerque explained. He emphasized the importance of making decisions only when they are finalized, stating that "announcing decisions that do not materialize is ridiculous."

Confirmed Arrival of Two Canadair Aircraft

The Spanish Air Force is preparing to send two firefighting aircraft from Málaga, expected to land at Madeira Airport on Thursday.

In response to inquiries regarding regional and national newsrooms being contacted about a denial, the Madeira government leader insisted that the government operates professionally and does not engage in frivolous behavior.

The DIÁRIO editorial team was also approached by the Regional Government requesting a denial of their report, which they rejected, affirming that their journalists based the article on verified facts that were later confirmed by the Regional Government itself.

Key Points from DIÁRIO's Statement:

1. The journalists involved reported based on verified facts, some of which were documented and included official statements.
2. The two journalists faced professional assassination attempts, including from colleagues in other media outlets who initially used their news but later denied it based on government sources.
3. The DIÁRIO is aware of the source that attempted to discredit their report and plans to report this to the relevant authorities.