The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, lamented this Friday the “premature death” of Raul Almeida, president of Turismo Centro de Portugal and former mayor of Mira.
“It was with deep sadness that the President of the Republic learned of the premature death of Raul Almeida”, says the note published on the Presidency’s official website.
“The former mayor dedicated a large part of his life to the public cause, namely serving the people of Mirense, as president of the Municipal Council of Mira. And he now faced, with great enthusiasm and dedication, a new challenge, leading the Turismo Centro de Portugal “, adds the note.
The Regional Tourism Entity of Central Portugal also issued a statement expressing its “solidarity” with the family and friends of Raul Almeida, to whom they address “their deepest condolences”.
“Raul José Rei Soares de Almeida was an exemplary man and leader, who contributed in a unique way to the growth of the Central region of Portugal, in all the areas in which he guided his personal and professional journey. In the last 15 months, he embraced, with enormous enthusiasm and work capacity, the challenge of leading this Regional Entity”, records the entity’s note.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machado, also highlighted today a “huge feeling of loss” in the face of Raul Almeida’s death, remembering the “force of nature” that the president of Turismo Centro de Portugal (TCP) constituted.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, Pedro Machado expressed his condolences to the family, wife and children of Raul Almeida, 53 years old and his successor as president of TCP, “for this life lost so early of a young man, who was also a friend”.
“He was my successor and someone who knew how to interpret well what the values of Turismo do Centro de Portugal were, to whom I also express my feelings for the loss of its president”, said the government official.
“Raul was, truly, a force of nature. Because even in this greatest adversity, which unfortunately won him this final race, he always had a capacity, an impulsiveness, an emotionality in the things he did, he was someone who didn’t give up” , argued Pedro Machado.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, Artur Fresco, president of Mira Municipal Council, who succeeded Raul Almeida in the position, stated that his death “was sudden and unexpected”, despite the illness he was suffering from, which was why he had gone to Spain to continue a treatment, scheduled for today and which was no longer carried out.
“We were friends before the political struggles. It is difficult, in a situation like this, to express what I feel, an immense sadness. It is a huge loss, for the person and the politician, he was an excellent mayor of Mira, he leaves a lot of work done”, he stressed the mayor.
Born in Mozambique in March 1971, and resident in the parish of Praia de Mira, Raul Almeida was elected mayor of Mira, by the PSD, in 2013 and re-elected in 2017 and 2021, serving until taking office as president of Turismo Centro de Portugal in 2023 .
According to Artur Fresco, Raul Almeida spent Christmas in Mira and went to a clinic in Spain, where he had already undergone treatment this month and where today he had another treatment scheduled.
Following the death of the former mayor, the municipal executive of Mira meets extraordinarily tonight, and a period of municipal mourning should be declared.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
