After a 70-day pause, the presentation of evidence resumed on Tuesday morning in the Operation Marquês trial. Former prime minister José Sócrates is the main defendant in a case involving 21 accused and 117 charges of corruption, money laundering and tax fraud. The defendants face economic and financial crimes, notably corruption, money laundering and tax fraud, mainly linked to three dossiers: Grupo Lena, which includes the TGV high-speed rail project; the former telecommunications company Portugal Telecom (PT); and the Vale do Lobo 'resort' in the Algarve, to which Caixa Geral de Depósitos granted a loan now considered ruinous.
Operation Marquês: trial resumed — video testimony scheduled from three witnesses who have died since the investigation began
Tuesday, 13 January 2026RSS
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Context & Explainers
The Algarve Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde do Algarve) is the public organisation that manages hospitals, primary care centres and emergency services across the Algarve region. Expats living in the Algarve rely on it for emergency care, specialist appointments and local public-health information, and should register with a family doctor in its network to access most services.
The Algarve Local Health Unit ("Unidade Local de Saúde do Algarve") is the public body that runs many of the region's hospitals, primary care centres and emergency services under the SNS, coordinating local clinical services and on‑call rotas. For expats it matters because this unit manages the nearest public hospitals and urgent care options, so knowing which facility covers your area helps you find emergency care, vaccination services and routine NHS appointments.
The Algarve Central Hospital (Hospital Central do Algarve) is a planned regional hospital for Portugal's Algarve region whose construction was approved by the Council of Ministers with an investment above €420 million under a PPP model. Its approval is important because it should centralise and upgrade regional services, affect local healthcare access and waiting times, and carry a long-term budgetary commitment (the government cites a €1.1 billion total charge).
