Montalegre, Vila Real, Portugal, April 17, 2025 (Lusa) - The leader of Portugal's Left Bloc has said that the communities fighting against lithium mines have "given the country lessons in resistance", believing that it is possible to stop the explorations planned for the northern district of Montalegre. "We have to believe that it is [possible], because the public is against it and is uniting to stop these explorations. The residents of this district, like many [others], have given the country lessons in resistance, they have protected this territory as the government was unable to do, as the state should have protected and didn't, as the major parties should have protected and didn't," reiterated Mariana Mortágua at the end of a meeting with the environmental defence association Montalegre Com Vida, on the subject of lithium mining in this region. The Left-wing leader said it was "important to remember at every election" that a region cannot be "pitted" against the will of its people, warning of the urgent need to "protect" the resources of the interior. "Portugal has to realise that if it wants to protect the interior, it really has to protect its natural resources. This is where the water that many people drink comes from, this is where agriculture comes from, meat, products that add value to the region and Portugal. To want to destroy all of this in the name of lithium mines that we don't even know have lithium, that don't leave any wealth in this region, is a profound disrespect for the country and we have this commitment to stop the lithium mines," she emphasised. When asked about the compensation or royalties for the affected communities, Mariana Mortágua only identified "propaganda" as an "economic argument", stating that the country " only stands to lose" from the lithium mines. ‘There are no economic arguments, there are no jobs, except propaganda. [...] Those who live here only stand to lose, the country only stands to lose, there will certainly be one or two who will gain, that's why [they're here], but that doesn't mean that the country has anything to gain from this destruction in Trás-os-Montes and other areas," she argued. In the village of Morgade, the Left Bloc leader also said that the endogenous resources and natural wealth of these districts classified as World Agricultural Heritage are more valuable than any mining operation. "We need to tell these people that we're going to be able to save their land, their natural resources, their biodiversity, save their water, save what's left of this country and its resources, which are worth so much economically. What is produced here, the landscape we have here, the water that is generated here has more economic value than possible mines. So yes, it is possible to stop these projects," she concluded. The Romano mine, in Montalegre, was granted a favourable conditional Environmental Impact Assessment in September 2023 by the Portuguese Environmental Agency, which imposed the allocation of royalties, compensatory measures for the local communities and minimisation measures for the Iberian wolf. Lusorecursos has already said that it intends to start mining in 2027 and that the refinery should start operating the following year. The mine is being contested by local residents, the Montalegre council and environmental associations. At the end of March, the European Commission included the lithium exploration projects in Boticas and Montalegre, both in the district of Vila Real, in the first batch of projects designated as strategic under the European Regulation on Critical Raw Materials. MYMR/AYLS // AYLS Lusa