Pedro Sarmento Costa/LUSA
President of Chega agrees with the mass deportation of immigrants in the USA – which should expel thousands of Portuguese emigrants.
Donald Trump assured, in his speech, that he will expel “millions and millions” of illegal immigrantsone of the main focuses of his electoral campaign, during which he promised to carry out the “largest mass deportation in the history” of the country.
The new US President also promised to strengthen the fight against the entry of illegal immigrants and the immediate deportation of anyone who tries to enter without meeting the requirements to remain in United States territory.
The president of Chega, André Ventura, agrees with the mass deportation of irregular immigrants – and which could include the expulsion of thousands of citizens Portuguese.
In Washington, where he participated in Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremonies, Ventura argued that “safe countries have strong borders”.
“The right is consistent in this: there are rules in Portugal and everywhere in the world. Anyone who doesn’t follow the rules must be returned to his country of origin”, highlighted the president of Chega in statements to the Portuguese press.
“What we defend is that – also in Portugal – those who do not comply with the rules should be returned to their country of origin. And see that this is not just said by the president of Chega or the president of Vox. It is now said by the president of the United States, a country that is a reference for freedom and even a reference for human rights”, highlighted Ventura.
“We have also said in Europe that we need those who are not legal to return to their country. (…) I think what Donald Trump said was that people who come to the United States have to be legal. And I think this is the right message”, defended Ventura.
Asked by Lusa whether this message includes Portuguese people who are irregularly in the United States, Ventura replied: “Everyone. What I demand for others is what I demand for myself as a Portuguese.”
“The Portuguese must comply with the law. I am convinced that this will not happen, because the Portuguese people I have met all over the world follow the rules. (…) What I am convinced is that the Portuguese will not be a significant number“, he observed.
“However, when I say that immigrants in Portugal have to follow the rules, everyone has to follow the rules. I can’t say that I want a rule for Pakistanis, Indians, Brazilians, Angolans and I don’t want it for the Portuguese. The Portuguese must be the first to set an example. When going to the USA, Canada, Switzerland, they have to follow rules”, highlighted André Ventura.
In other words, Chega’s leader had already shown that is “against immigrants, and now it has shown that it is against Portuguese emigrants”summarized Rui Pedro Antunes, on the radio – where he recalled the case of José Dias Fernandes, who was expelled twice from France for being an illegal immigrant (and is now a Chega deputy).
The Government of the United States is preparing a contingency plan to welcome Azorean emigrants who may be deported by Donald Trump.
Male and female
The US federal government must recognize only two sexes – male and female -, according to an executive order that Donald Trump is expected to sign soon.
The order would reverse the Joe Biden Administration’s efforts to expand gender identity designations.
The measure was celebrated by André Venturawho was part of the Patriots for Europe (far right) delegation, the third largest political group in the European Parliament, which was present at Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“I think that today Donald Trumpwhen saying that a man is a man and a woman is a woman, says the obviousbut says he will align himself with the European right. It is important to say this, because the European right has been fighting this fight for a long time (…) so that the gender ideology be swept out of schools“, advocated the president of Chega, who admitted not having spoken to Trump during the trip to Washington.
The president of Chega defended the end of “gender ideology” by praising this executive order. Ventura saw the republican tycoon’s alignment “with the European right”, which fights “for gender ideology to be swept out of schools”.
“I would like to highlight two things [do discurso de tomada de posse de Trump]which I think really affected the (…) European right that is here with me: the economic issue, a free economy, an economy without bureaucracy, without the weight that socialism generally places on the economy; and the issue of gender ideology”, André Ventura began telling Portuguese journalists in the North American capital.
“I think that Donald Trump said that there are two genders, there is male and female, perhaps for many people, or for an important part of the working middle class, this is not a relevant issue, but today we know that there is a civilizing struggle of gender ideology in schools. And I think Donald Trump promised to end it today [segunda-feira]clearly, from Washington, with this gender ideology”, assessed the president of Chega.
Despite agreeing with several of the measures promised by Trump, André Ventura guaranteed that disagree do forgiveness granted by the republican to the invaders of Capitol, who carried out a violent attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 with the aim of stopping the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
“I disagree. I have a disagreeing position on this. It’s not a question of forgiving or not. I think we should interfere in justice as little as possible”, defended the Portuguese politician.
“We don’t have to agree on everything. And I also think it has to be clear, because we Europeans have a different line of thought than Americans on this matter, is that we can agree and disagree with the press, with institutions, with social groups”, he highlighted.
According to the president of Chega, the violence and attacks on institutions are “the limit”.
“For us, democracy is truly sacred. And I think that a President should interfere as little as possible in justice. Now, let’s be frank too, President Biden pardoned his own son. And, therefore, it sent a bad signal to justice throughout the world”, he further assessed.
