“That article defined my path. When I read it, I was really upset,” stated Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, the former Navy Chief of Staff, in his book “Gouveia e Melo – As Reasons.” The book, which is a comprehensive interview conducted by Valentina Marcelino, journalist and deputy director of Diário de Notícias, will be released for sale next Thursday and launched on the 24th, under the Porto Editora label.
An article published by Expresso in October 2024, penned by journalist Vitor Matos, suggested that Marcelo intended to reappoint Gouveia e Melo as Navy Chief of Staff to deter his presidential candidacy. However, Gouveia e Melo was only willing to accept the position if there was substantial investment in the naval force, including the purchase of additional submarines.
Admiral Gouveia e Melo, who previously alluded to efforts to block his candidacy for the presidency by promoting him to head of the Armed Forces without mentioning specific names or dates, this time directly attributes these efforts to the President of the Republic and the Government.
“Indeed, the Government and the President of the Republic did not seem interested in defense matters, aside from making some adjustments to military salaries. Thus, I deduced that what they wanted was for me to remain tied to the Navy with the potential ‘prize’ of eventually becoming Chief of the Armed Forces and reaching the peak of a military career. I suspect they thought I would be pleased with the opportunity,” he expressed.
The admiral, known for leading the Navy and handling the COVID-19 vaccination process, suggests that the strategy to hinder his candidacy completely backfired: “These people truly did not know me… the one thing I would never do is be a figurehead just for ceremonies.”
“They wanted to give me importance without giving me the power to do anything. Thank you, but it was then that I decided: I’ll engage in real decision-making, in politics,” he asserted.
Henrique Gouveia e Melo did not hold back criticism of the political authorities, citing “a certain autism to the winds of change and a dangerous detachment from what was approaching,” referencing the international scene and the potential re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States.
“I thought, ‘if they are not even concerned, it makes no sense to stay. My contribution will only be useful outside, precisely in the political field,” he reflected.
In the 236-page book, Gouveia e Melo accuses Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of doing a “very uncomfortable thing” when the issue of the succession of Admiral Mendes Calado as Navy Chief arose in 2021. Marcelo allegedly stated that it was “not necessary for Admiral Gouveia e Melo to push Admiral Mendes Calado.”
“That phrase was truly lethal,” claimed the now-presidential candidate, insisting he did not push anyone, and Marcelo later acknowledged this. However, those remarks, along with Mendes Calado being “angry with the then Government,” combined to create a fraught environment, “as tense as cutting through it with a knife.”
Regarding the presidential elections on January 18, Henrique Gouveia e Melo states that his “main opponent” is not within the elections but rather “prejudice disguised as democracy.”
Responding to criticism by Luís Marques Mendes that Gouveia e Melo’s election could pose “a huge risk, even a danger to democracy,” the admiral commented: “I felt that candidate Luís Marques Mendes had momentarily lost his mind…”
