“Dr. André Ventura has engaged in a whirlwind of xenophobia and racism, because that is the correct term, demonstrating an intolerance that democracy should not tolerate,” stated the presidential candidate during an interview with Lusa following a visit to the Coimbra Academic Association (AAC).
Gouveia e Melo expressed that it is possible to disagree with “wide-open door” immigration—something he personally does not support—without categorizing people based on their skin color or attire in deciding who should stay in Portugal.
When asked about André Ventura’s posters targeting specific communities from Bangladesh and the Roma ethnicity, the presidential candidate remarked that such communication is “pure and hard racism.”
“It reminds me of the Nazi system that found a scapegoat in the Jews at the time. And now we are trying to find another scapegoat in Portugal. The Portuguese have mingled with all peoples of the world, have navigated around the world, they are a people with global awareness, with almost half of their population emigrated to other countries. Therefore, we must exercise a bit of common sense in discussing these issues,” he emphasized.
The presidential candidate also accused André Ventura of spreading misinformation and attributing “falsehoods” about the foreigners’ law to him, disseminating them on social networks, “creating a misleading notion that does not reflect reality.”
“He even went as far as to offensively suggest that if I wanted to be president, I should do so in Hindustan. I do not acknowledge in Dr. André Ventura any form of patriotism superior to mine. I have been on the front line several times, risking my life, and therefore, I do not take lessons from a man who has never served as a soldier or firefighter,” he stated.
Henrique Gouveia e Melo also made a reference to Ventura’s stance advocating for “three Salazars” for the country, questioning if the Chega leader intends to return to “poverty levels that existed during the dictatorship” or strip citizens of their freedom.
The presidential candidate highlighted that there is “an anti-democratic game beginning to set in,” treating it as normal, when it should not be.
“Democracy, which is tolerance, cannot allow for intolerance. Because intolerance undermines democracy, posing a threat to its very existence,” he stated, urging André Ventura “to play the democratic game.”
Regarding Ventura’s accusation of his alleged proximity to the PS and the Left Bloc, Gouveia e Melo argued that if Ventura were “a bit older,” he might “understand the role of Dr. Mário Soares in establishing democracy in Portugal.”
“Perhaps he does not like Dr. Mário Soares, because he is not truly democratic,” he added.
