The leader of Chega, André Ventura, denied today that his attendance at an immigrant demonstration was an act of provocation, stating that he does not hide and accusing other parties of doing so.
Ventura addressed journalists in front of the parliament, where he attended to greet former combatants who were demonstrating there.
On Wednesday, he was at the same location during an immigrants’ demonstration, where he faced accusations of being “racist” and “fascist.” This move by Ventura drew criticism from various parties, who labeled him as “provocative” and “incendiary,” considering the anti-immigration stance of his party.
The party leader questioned, “Why is it that when Chega comes, it’s a provocation, and when others come, it’s not?” He assured that he is not one to “run away,” and attended Wednesday’s demonstration to tell the immigrants that “they must follow the rules.”
“The day has yet to come when I, as the leader of a party, cannot stand in front of the house of democracy,” he emphasized.
Ventura also remarked that “the parties that have always hidden will never have the courage to face the country and its problems” because “it will always be easier for them to hide inside.”
The Chega president also criticized the media coverage of that protest, claiming that the former combatants did not receive the same attention.
About two hundred former combatants protested today outside the Assembly of the Republic, complaining of being “humiliated and abandoned” and demanding the payment of a “national gratitude supplement.”
The Chega leader argued that “the country cannot forget the former combatants” and indicated that they “are a priority” for his party.
André Ventura stated that Chega will propose, as part of the State Budget for the next year, “a minimum pension for all.”
