The coordinator of the Left Block, José Manuel Pureza, today considered that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is one of those responsible for the escalation in the Middle East conflict, with impact on the cost of living of the Portuguese.
© Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
08/10/2026
by
Lusa
“ O u.S. Secretary of State [is] one of the great responsible for the war against Iran and there is a direct link between the cost of living and the war in the Middle East, because precisely there is the origin of rising fuel prices,” he said.
José Manuel Pureza spoke on the margins of an initiative that took place today at the D. Pedro V Market in Coimbra, where he talked to sellers and customers about the cost of living, on the same day that the head of diplomacy of the United States visits Portugal.
“ We do so just on a day when we must protest against this visit [of Marco Rubio]”, he said.
José Manuel Pureza explained that the initiative carried out today in Coimbra intended to defend “other measures” to resolve the situation of rising cost of living.
“What we are doing here is just saying that we need to have other proposals, other measures to resolve the situation – price control, home rent control. A determination, a courage that the Government has not had,” he said.
For José Manuel Pureza, “it is absolutely insufficient” what has been announced by the Government.
“ It shows no courage to confront what is essential. Those with fewer and fewer still have fewer, those with more and more continue to have more. This is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
For the coordinator of BE, “the country is also awakening to this situation, to the need to mobilize”, referring to the demonstrations called for this Saturday, October 10, in several cities of the country, “so that people can express their revolt with this situation and the urgency of alternatives”.

