The leader of Chega, André Ventura, was delivering a speech at the Tavira Fair and Exhibition Center in the Algarve to an audience of about 400 people when, at approximately 9:10 PM, he paused his address to take a sip of water and clutched his chest. He crouched down and was immediately surrounded by several members of the party’s security team.
The security personnel carried him out of the venue to the exterior of the exhibition center, where they awaited the arrival of medical teams. He appeared disoriented and complained of pain, but he never lost consciousness.
Shortly thereafter, he was attended to by two ambulances from the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) and a Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle. On the scene, they conducted an electrocardiogram, which showed normal results with no abnormalities, reports indicated.
The parliamentary leader of Chega, Pedro Pinto, was tasked with updating Ventura’s health status. Speaking from the party’s rally stage, he assured the audience that Ventura was “well” and “conscious.”
“As you noticed, our leader had a problem. We can’t yet evaluate what happened as he’s undergoing assessments and has been taken to the hospital for further evaluation. I want to reassure you that he is okay, conscious, and he spoke with us, stressing something very important: don’t give up as we are going to win the elections on May 18,” Pinto stated, followed by applause and chants of André Ventura.
He was subsequently transported to Faro Hospital, arriving at 10:40 PM, where he spent the night under “observation” while various medical tests were conducted, and results were awaited.
Doctor Assures “Everything Went Well”
Upon André Ventura’s arrival at Faro Hospital, the INEM doctor who attended to him during the ambulance trip between Tavira and Faro informed journalists that “everything is fine” with the Chega leader.
“He is doing well at this moment,” the doctor stated, noting that “everything went well” and praising the emergency team’s “very quick and good” response.
Although the exact cause of Ventura’s malaise has not been officially confirmed, Dr. Francisco Goiana da Silva suggested on SIC Notícias that it might have been a hypertensive crisis, which involves a sudden and marked increase in blood pressure, as described by the Portuguese Hypertension Society’s website.
“The severity is mostly related to the magnitude and speed of the blood pressure increase, not so much the absolute value,” they explain.
Chega Agenda Canceled in the Morning
The itinerary for Chega leader on this Wednesday morning was canceled due to André Ventura’s health issue, with the activities expected to resume later in the afternoon with a campaign walk in Vila Nova de Milfontes, scheduled for 5:00 PM.
Ventura’s schedule has been intensified over recent days, with campaign activities being announced to journalists on the same day.
Political Parties Wish Ventura a “Speedy Recovery”
The president of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, was the first party leader to react, wishing André Ventura a “speedy recovery” and expressing hopes that despite his health scare during the party event, nothing serious would arise concerning his health.
The Secretary-General of the PS, Pedro Nuno Santos, also expressed a wish for Ventura to “recover quickly.”
Meanwhile, leaders of IL, Rui Rocha, and CDS, Nuno Melo, took to the social network X to wish Chega’s president a speedy recovery. The liberal leader expressed his hope that “it’s nothing serious,” while Nuno Melo, on behalf of CDS, wished for “a fast recovery.”
