“All violence must be condemnable and must be condemned,” stated André Ventura, clarifying that Chega condemns the attack on the actor from the theater company A Barraca, Adérito Lopes, as well as any “violence committed against either social or political groups.”
According to André Ventura, “it was important that all violence be condemned” and that “society not live in a kind of schizophrenia” where, “when it is violence against the right, it is good and can be tolerated, when it is another type of violence, we have to condemn it.”
When asked whether Chega’s discourse regarding immigrants might be seen as an incitement to violence, the leader of Chega stated that “if it is not possible to say in the country that immigrants who come here must work and follow rules, then nothing can be said,” criticizing the “double standards” he perceives from some political decision-makers.
“It seems that we live in a kind of political schizophrenia, where everything is acceptable on one side and nothing is acceptable on the other,” said André Ventura, recalling that the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, condemned the attack on the actor but did not say “a single word about what happened in Amareleja,” where a father killed a son.
“The President of the Republic is afraid that the Roma community will be upset with him, but prefers to follow a certain majority media opinion regarding other types of crimes,” he accused, questioning why the president “does not condemn the violence between Roma and by Roma?” or when women are raped in Martim Moniz or any area of the country, isn’t that violence that must be condemned?”
Reiterating that Chega is “against all types of violence, whether committed against anyone, for whatever reasons,” the party president emphasized that “Portuguese politics cannot have room for violence” and that it is necessary that “there is no good left-wing violence and bad right-wing violence.”
“What we cannot have are presidents, prime ministers, and political leaders who, when there is a certain type of violence, remain silent to see if the matter dies, and when there is another type of violence, it seems there are a number of commentators, politicians, and journalists who love to say the words extreme-right and neo-Nazi.”
However, when it is violence “from squatters, extremist left-wing groups, or antifascist groups, they are called activists,” he concluded, considering it “a poor exercise of political power by those in power.”
André Ventura was speaking in Santarém, where he visited the National Agriculture Fair / Ribatejo Fair, ongoing until Sunday at the National Exhibition Centre (CNEMA).
