“Diesel was very expensive there”
Report by Reinaldo Moretti, who preferred to leave Minas Gerais to live in Portugal. He’s been fined twice in the last month alone.
The rise in fuel prices in Portugal led to gas oil reaching the level, never seen before, of 2 euros. Or even beyond the fascia, in some cases.
Before this larger increase, caused by the war in Ukraine, there was a Brazilian who decided to move to Portugal for…the price of gas.
ONE BBC News Brazil crossed paths with Reinaldo Moretti, who preferred to leave Minas Gerais to live in Braga.
Portugal had already been his country of residence between 2001 and 2005, the year he returned to Brazil due to family problems.
Consider that Brazil was a good place to live until 2010: “At that time, the economy was good and I took the opportunity to buy a truck”.
But then the scenario changed: “It was just sinking, the economy. As I have friends who live here in Spain, Italy, Holland and England, they always told me to come back”.
Inflation and above all the increase in fuel prices in his home country made his life difficult: “The truck was at sink me into debts. Even without spending money for nothing and without having vices, I paid a lot for diesel and to maintain the vehicle. I thought I would get rid of the truck as soon as possible.”
“I got discouraged and I got rid of the truck to come to Portugal. Use the money to pay all bills and debts. After the sale, I went to work as an employee in a company, transporting milk, it will even travel”, can work the 53-year-old Brazilian.
Convinced by his friends, who among real highlighted the difference in the exchange rate, Reinaldo went to live in Braga, in October 2021.
Reinaldo considers that the life in Portugal is “much better” than life in Brazil.
But he left a warning: “Whoever comes without a guaranteed job needs to be prepared. It is necessary to bring a lot of money because the cost of living is high. And my advice is to come and get legalized because it’s very annoying to go through a situation like this. I can’t even make an international delivery at the risk of being arrested.”
Reinaldo was talking about the entries that were found. His passage through Minho has not been completely peaceful: as his documents to be in Europe already had expiredcannot leave Portugal, even for work.
That’s why Braga is the last but, not a month, it’s already been fined twice: one for not having attended the compulsory course for truck drivers and the other for not having a tachograph, which makes it possible to control the journeys of truck drivers.
Reinaldo himself admits that it is risky to work like this, without all the requirements he has already earned him fines of 1,100 eurosonly in these two cases.
In addition, when the Brazilian moved to Portugal, the price of diesel did not even come close to 2 euros, as it is now.
However, and as the article mentions, if Reinaldo was still in Brazil, “he would have a new scare”. – one Petrobras announced the increase in the price of diesel in 8.87%completed this Tuesday.
Finally, to return to Brazil, despite wanting to like Portugal: “My wife is in Brazil. She is a year and a half away from retiring and her parents also live there. I have factors that want me to return to Brazil”, do many.