In statements during a street march in front of the casino at Praia da Rocha in Portimão, operated by Solverde, one of the companies Spinumviva worked with, Chega’s leader expressed his hope that on Sunday, “the Portuguese will send Luís Montenegro back to Spinumviva and allow Chega to govern Portugal.”
André Ventura stated, “Clearly, it is no longer Luís Montenegro’s moment; now is the time for Chega to govern the country, and that is felt on the streets.”
“I believe the Portuguese truly want to combat all forms of corruption and the 50 years of political influence peddling. Therefore, I think what will happen is that the Portuguese will give a red card to the AD,” he said, arguing that “people want change.”
Chega’s campaign caravan moved to the Algarve today, a constituency they won in last year’s elections, for two street marches in Portimão, held almost consecutively.
The first march, in the city center, saw the largest participation so far, with over two hundred supporters. Upon arrival, the Chega leader was carried on the shoulders of local supporters. In contrast, the second event, near Praia da Rocha, saw a significant drop in attendance, with only a few dozen participants.
Consistent with recent days, the two events were closely monitored by several members of the PSP (Public Security Police).
At the start of the second week of campaigning for the legislative elections, Chega intensified its schedule. Initially, the plan distributed to journalists included only one street march for this afternoon.
In the afternoon, the party added two more events: a street march at Praia da Rocha and an evening gathering with the Chega president in a Faro bar, scheduled for 11:00 PM.
The Chega president justified these initiatives as a desire to campaign “among the people,” specifically targeting young people this evening. He dismissed any suggestion of seeking inspiration from the Liberal Initiative (IL).
The campaign, he asserted, “is done everywhere, throughout all of Portugal.”
During the event, André Ventura was also questioned about statements by former socialist minister Duarte Cordeiro, who considered that, when the Chega leader supports Donald Trump’s administration, he is “betraying the homeland and Portugal’s interests.”
Ventura responded, “If Duarte Cordeiro stepped away from politics for a reason, it must have been because he lost his shame and integrity, and I am still here without shame and with integrity.”
In Portimão, Ventura reiterated several times his conviction that Chega will win the legislative elections on May 18 and will again be the most voted party in the Faro electoral district.
“The Algarve and the entire country today are proud to be part of Chega, as could be heard. People are proud to show this change and to show that they are no longer with either the PS or the PSD,” he argued.
André Ventura claimed that “what happened here today in the Algarve is just a symbol of what will happen throughout the country on Sunday, a truly enormous Chega wave sweeping away political power in Lisbon.”
