I read several times the contents about immigrants and the intentions of the extreme right party Chega from its press briefing yesterday (blog 16th May).
The hatred is really quite shocking! … and worrying. Not so much that it is clear that Chega appears to want to take Portugal out of Europe and Schengen, a type of ‘Prexit’, but more so because it is hard to tell how this dialogue is affecting the voters, especially the young people that seemed at one time to be breaking out of the historical cycle of foreigner hatred.
Continental Portugal, during tomorrow’s voting for a new government, is expected to reduce it’s support for Chega nationally, from its current 50 mandates. There could be several reasons for the polls forecasting this outcome, the most likely being the need for stability in government which has been fundamentally lacking before and since the previous minority government resigned.
HHowever, in Madeira, there are 6 places available for deputies in the national government structure.
Tomorrow’s election results will show whether Madeira voted more for Chega than in previous elections, and how much influence that Chega Madeira had over Madeira’s voters over the past few campaign weeks.
Taking account of the newer grievances against foreigners: I listed 7 main grievances this week, of which lack of availability of affordable housing was top of the list. It will be impossible to determine the exact reasons for any changes that may occur tomorrow.
So, is it important and relevant to determine the origins of the hatred, back to the beginning of Madeira’s short populated history?
Was there some massive betrayal by foreigners or particular countries? I couldn’t find anything external at all during my research into the matter. The feeling that Portugal’s own government has always put Madeira at the bottom of its priority list is as strong as ever however.
Do Madeirans want to hide the islands history from outsiders for some reasons? Here I did find some catastrophic and shameful matters, but some were way back in time.
In current times the Madeiran culture still has some shameful track records and very unpleasant traditions that are well worth hiding. Some have come and gone, others still very much in evidence.
The main ones are:
Fires set by early settlers to clear the dense forests of Madeira burned for nearly seven years and consumed approximately two-thirds of the island’s vegetation. This vegetation was primarily composed of the native Laurissilva forest, a unique subtropical laurel forest of immense ecological value.
Fire still has a devastating effect on Madeira, even today. Some landowners refuse to clean their land, and forests and wasteland are of course vulnerable in hot dry weather. There are serious or even catastrophic fires every year, often caused by arsonists, others caused by deliberately and illegally burning rubbish near to vulnerable areas and the hot cinders spread. The legal penalties in both cases are surprisingly lenient.
Slavery played a significant role in the sugarcane industry of Madeira. Introduced with the expansion of sugar plantations around 1455, enslaved people, primarily from North and West Africa and the nearby Canary Islands (Guanches), provided labor for the demanding work of cultivating and processing sugarcane. By the 16th century, enslaved Africans constituted about 10% of Madeira’s population.
Slaves were also in the back-breaking tasks of clearing land, constructing the vital irrigation channels known as levadas, planting, harvesting, and transporting the sugarcane. The model of sugar production established in Madeira, relying on enslaved labor, became a blueprint for the later plantation systems in the Caribbean and Brazil. Slavery in Madeira was abolished in 1775.
Enslaved Africans and Guanches toiled relentlessly in Madeira’s rugged terrain to build the water channels known as levadas. This irrigation network, snaking across steep cliffs and through dense forests, was constructed under perilous conditions. Landslides, falls from great heights, and accidents with tools were constant threats. The brutal pace of work, coupled with inadequate food and harsh treatment, led to exhaustion, disease, and tragically, many deaths among the enslaved people. Their immense suffering and loss are an indelible part of Madeira’s history.
While slavery is a dark chapter in Madeira’s past, the exploitation of the poor by wealthy landowners continued even after its abolition. For generations, many Madeirans faced significant hardship due to the unequal distribution of land and power.
Wealthy families often controlled vast estates, leaving the majority of the population with limited access to land for cultivation or housing. This created a system of dependency where the poor were forced to work as laborers or tenant farmers under often exploitative conditions. Low wages, precarious work, and a lack of opportunities trapped many in a cycle of poverty.
These landowners often exerted considerable social and political influence, further marginalizing the poor and hindering any meaningful efforts towards social reform. While the stark brutality of slavery was gone, the systemic inequalities persisted, leaving a legacy of hardship for many Madeiran families.
Corruption and fraud have haunted Madeira since early times. Huge cases against Madeira’s only two democratically elected presidents, Alberto João Jardim and Miguel Albuquerque, are theoretically still ongoing but unlikely to ever be resolved due to corrupt justice, and inequality, which protects the rich and powerful.
Corruption is part of daily life in Madeira in some form or another. It seems more like a Latin America scenario rather than what modern Europe has aimed to become.
Other areas of shame and disgust that still continue today include:
Dumping anything that’s no longer of use in any convenient place. Household appliances dumped in rivers, any type of household waste dumped in woodlands and streams. Chemical waste and products disposed of in lavadas. Most of this ends up in the sea eventually. New laws and greater policing has improved matters over recent years, and the environment is slowly recovering. However, paying for disposable is a deterrent for many, and dumping is still taking place.
Drugs are an ever increasing problem. They are everywhere from schools to night life. Being a fairly small island you would think that containing the problem would be much easier than a mainland location. But the problem keeps growing. The crimes associated with drug addiction and drug trafficking of course grow proportionately.
Animal abuse and neglect, and particularly customs that maim or kill animals barbarically. However, dogs and cats only are now protected by new laws, with multiple support organisations now working for their protection and welfare.
Domestic violence (Madeira has the worst record in Portugal)
Bullying in schools and of elderly people. One horrifying trait is abandoning old or disabled family members at home alone, or even leaving them in hospitals, never to return. 1,749 cases referred to Child Protection in 2024.
Sexual abuse of minors
Racial discrimination and xenophobia
Even witchcraft still exists!
THIS WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A LIST OF DEFECTS IN MADEIRA SOCIETY, JUST SOME PROBLEMS PAST AND PRESENT THAT ONE MIGHT CONSIDER SHAMEFUL AND DIFFICULT TO IGNORE
Healing Madeira 