The socialist deputy Eva Cruzeiro stated on Thursday that she is unaware of who could have altered her signature at the Constitutional Affairs Committee meeting, where the name “Evita Perón” appeared in the attendance book. She requested that no suspicions be raised, stating, “what happened is very serious.”
In an interview with RTP Notícias, Eva Cruzeiro emphasized that she was not present at the Constitutional Affairs Committee meeting. She expressed, “I know as much as most people do,” reaffirming her absence from the meeting.
“I can’t even imagine who could have done something like this,” she said.
When asked if she has any suspicions, the socialist deputy replied, “No, I have no suspicion and I would like no suspicions to be raised because what happened is very serious, and there is a great possibility of committing an injustice.”
Eva Cruzeiro noted the ideal approach would be for the matter to be “handled internally by the services of the Assembly of the Republic,” and not to assign blame without certainties or data.
“There are no data at the moment. It could have been anyone. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” she emphasized.
When asked how she realized that her signature had been forged, the deputy explained she was in a meeting when Isabel Moreira, the coordinator of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, sent her a photograph of the incident.
Isabel Moreira informed Eva Cruzeiro of the signature in her name and questioned her absence from the committee to confirm the occurrence. “I did not sign, much less as Evita Perón. I am very diligent with these matters, I would not play with something like that,” she stated, confirming to Isabel Moreira that she was not present.
Eva Cruzeiro also disclosed that “it was the Socialist Party that presented the case at the leaders’ meeting, and it is already in the Transparency Commission,” adding that the Assembly of the Republic’s services “showed great concern.”
“I end up being the aggrieved party because if this situation had not been noticed in time, I would have been recorded at a meeting where I was not present, and who knows if, in the future, I would have to explain myself to the Assembly of the Republic and the Portuguese people. Fortunately, it was discovered in time, and I end up being protected, otherwise, I would be in a very complicated position,” she admitted.
When asked if any of her colleagues noticed anything unusual in that committee, the socialist said her colleagues noted that when they signed, Eva Cruzeiro’s signature was not there. “On the other hand, I spoke with several deputies from other parliamentary groups, and what they told me was that they regretted the situation and did not know what had happened either,” she stated.
She added, “Indeed, having this happen in the Assembly of the Republic is very serious. I never imagined it was possible, and I realized that most of my colleagues also thought it would not be possible for something like this to happen. Now, everyone will be on alert about this kind of situation.”
Asked if this kind of incident has occurred before, the deputy mentioned that, “at least in this legislature, yes.” “Obviously, my desire now is to check all the attendance lists. My fear is being accused of fraud for having a presence where I was not,” she stressed.
Regarding how this attendance signature process works, Eva Cruzeiro explained that while it depends on the committee, there is “a place where the sheet is, and the deputies sign as they arrive. All deputies have access.”
It is noteworthy that this is the first legislature where Eva Cruzeiro serves as a deputy.
What Happened?
On Wednesday, the socialist deputy Eva Cruzeiro’s signature was falsified at a meeting of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, where the name “Evita Perón” appeared in the slot reserved for her signature.
Eva Cruzeiro told the Lusa agency she did not attend that meeting of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, as she is an alternate member representing the socialist bloc.
The PS, according to parliamentary sources, raised the issue with Eva Cruzeiro at today’s leaders’ conference. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Affairs Committee filed a report with the Parliamentary Commission on Transparency and the Members’ Statute.
Eva Cruzeiro is also pursuing a complaint against the Chega deputy Filipe Melo, whose process is ongoing in the Transparency Commission. Conversely, Filipe Melo lodged another complaint against the socialist deputy.
The socialist deputy Eva Cruzeiro had her signature falsified at today’s meeting of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, where the name “Evita Perón” appeared in the spot reserved for her signature.
Lusa | 19:26 – 03/12/2025
