Federal Deputy Sargento Portugal (Somos-RJ) was the target of an attack on the morning of Thursday (18), while circulating through the community of Antares, in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The parliamentarian, who was on his way to the inauguration of a social project, was not injured because the vehicle was armored. The case is under investigation of the 36th DP (Santa Cruz).
According to witnesses, the shots occurred inside the community and intensified when the vehicle tried to leave the scene. In an interview with TV RecordPortugal, who is a former military policeman, said he heard “more than 50 shots” and reported being chased by a suspicious car until he was able to reach a busy road.
“We stopped at a corner, there were two rifle men. The reaction was, ‘What do I do? There’s nothing to do.’ We turned around the corner and started: a lot of shots, even when I looked at the rearview mirror, I saw that there was a car chasing my car,” said the parliamentarian. “If it wasn’t armored, I would have died.”
The Military Police confirmed in a statement that agents of the 27th BPM (Santa Cruz) were fired after reports of shots. The deputy also published a video on social networks showing bullet brands in the bodywork, the glass and the car rearview mirror. In all, he accounted for at least six impacts.
The Antares region is marked by disputes between militia and criminal factions, especially the Red Command, which has expanded its domain in the West Zone. The authorities have not yet confirmed whether the attack had political motivation or if it was an attempted robbery.
Political profile and performance
José Portugal Neto fulfills his first term in the House of Representatives, after being elected in 2022 with just over 33,000 votes. Its main flags are related to public safety and the appreciation of police forces.
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Supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), Portugal is one of the signatories of the request that it proposes amnesty those involved in the attacks of January 8, 2023. However, he has faced criticism from the pocket base for defending a “modulated” version of the proposal.
“Are you innocent prisoners? Do you have excessive feathers? There are, too. But there are also those who tried to kill police on the day. […] You can’t include criminals in this amnesty, ”said the deputy.
In his speech after the attack, Portugal required a firmer response from state security authorities and said he expected effective actions from the Rio government to combat the advancement of organized crime. “Rio de Janeiro has not been from Carioca for a long time,” he said.
