AMELP – the name for the association of Portuguese emigrés still left impoverished by the collapse of Banco Espírito Santo almost two years ago – has vowed to take its fight for compensation all the way to the Euro 2016 championships.
This blurring of the more habitual dividing line between sports and politics comes as result of the national team’s sponsorship by Novo Banco, the so-called good bank that emerged from the banking collapse.
Novo Banco has failed, explains AMELP, to get round the negotiating table to try and find a solution for the 2000 or so emigrés whose life savings turned to dust in the ‘bad bank’ (BES).
“People are exhausted and disgusted”, association president Luís Marques told Lusa. “Novo Banco is playing with us. It is sponsoring the national football team with our money. It should be ashamed. It owes money to people who are starving”.
The idea of the protests – scheduled for Friday in Paris on the eve of the championships – is to put the national team, particularly coach Fernando Santos and star player Cristiano Ronaldo, on the spot.
Meetings are planned while AMELP is also hoping for audiences with the President of the Republic, the prime minister and the Bank of Portugal.
Lusa explains that 80% of the 8000 emigrés affected by BES collapse reached agreements with Novo Banco last summer.
AMELP represents those who were not comfortable with the agreements and “around 400 emigré investors who had bought products Euro Aforro 10 and EG Premium, for which Novo Banco made no proposal”.
AMELP stands for Association Movement of Damaged Portuguese Emigrants.
