Portuguese Socialists Question Government Over La Vie Cinema Conversion in Guarda

The parliamentary group of the Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) in the Assembly of the Republic raised questions to Culture Minister Margarida Balseiro Lopes about the change of use of the former cinema rooms in the La Vie shopping centre in Guarda. The deputies said the cinema space had already been turned into a commercial store without the required legal and administrative procedures being completed, potentially breaching the rules that protect cultural facilities and affecting access to culture in interior regions.

Deputy Aida Carvalho stressed that the closure or repurposing of such cultural equipment has repercussions for territorial cohesion and equal cultural access. The PS group asked whether the Ministry had prior knowledge of the intended change, why the pending alteration‑of‑use request had been delayed, what inspections (IGAC) had been carried out, and what measures would be taken to enforce the applicable legislation. The minister previously indicated a decision on pending cinema‑defection requests would be taken by November.