PPM Madeira has criticized what it considers a "pass-the-buck game" between the Santa Cruz Municipal Council and the Regional Government regarding the responsibility for the maintenance and conservation of the Cristo Rei do Garajau monument.
In a statement, the party's coordinator, Paulo Brito, regrets that the sculpture is currently closed to visitors due to its state of degradation, despite being an important tourist attraction. The party recalls the historical and tourist significance of the monument, inaugurated in the late 1920s.
For PPM, the exchange of responsibilities between public entities is "regrettable" and questions whether the monument is an "orphan child that nobody wants." Paulo Brito argues that a registry should exist to determine ownership and maintenance responsibility.
The party calls for a swift understanding between the Santa Cruz Council and the Regional Government to allow the site to reopen to visitors, stating that such disputes harm the Region and its people. PPM hopes the situation will be resolved quickly, ending the "sad soap opera" surrounding Cristo Rei.
