Fifteen years ago, on this date, DIÁRIO published on the front page an unusual image of the then president of the Regional Government of Madeira, Alberto João Jardim. In the photograph, he appeared with a Beretta shotgun raised in one hand, smiling, before an audience of onlookers.
The image was captured during the inauguration of the shooting complex at Varadouro, in Porto Santo, on August 28 of that year. The moment, which might have seemed like just a joke, quickly became the center of intense controversy.
The controversy went beyond the simple "joke" gesture, generating talk and public debate about the regional leader's conduct. The image of Jardim with the raised weapon became emblematic and marked the media memory of the era.
