TIAGO PETINGA/LUSA
Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, former Chief of Staff of the Navy.
Leader of Chega “is not democratic” and “entered into a corruption of xenophobia and racism”. It makes Gouveia e Melo “remember the Hitlerian system”. Admiral also warns: “I don’t receive messages” from André Ventura.
Presidential candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo accused André Ventura this Monday of having entered into “a corruption of xenophobia and racism” which is reminiscent of the Hitlerian system, which used Jews as a scapegoat.
“Doctor André Ventura entered into a frenzy of xenophobia and racism, because that is the right word, which shows such intolerance that democracy should not tolerate”, said the presidential candidate, who was speaking to the Lusa agency at the end of a visit to the Academic Association of Coimbra (AAC). For Gouveia and Melo, it is possible not to agree with an immigration with “open doors” – which he also does not agree with – without defining “by color or clothing who are the people who should stay in Portugal or not”.
Asked about posters by André Ventura aimed at specific Bangladeshi and gypsy communities, which read “this is not Bangladesh”, the presidential candidate also considered that this type of communication “is pure and harsh racism”.
“It reminds me of the Hitlerian system who found a scapegoat who were the Jews at the time. And now we are trying to find another scapegoat in Portugal. The Portuguese mixed with all the people of the world, they sailed all over the world, they are a people who have a world, they are a people who have almost half of their population emigrated to other countries. Therefore, we need a bit of common sense in what we say about a certain type of matter”, he stressed, reinforcing what he said in a recent interview in which he denied — — the existence of the “Portuguese gene”.
The candidate for Bethlehem He also accused his opponent André Ventura of spreading misinformation and putting “falsehoods” in his mouth about the law on foreigners, then disseminating them on social media, “creating an idea that does not correspond to the truth”.
“It was even offensive to say that if I wanted to be president, I would be president there for Hindustan. I do not recognize in Dr. André Ventura any type of patriotism superior to mine. I have been on the front line several times at risk to my life and, therefore, I don’t receive messages from a gentleman who has never servedas a soldier or firefighter”, he said.
Henrique Gouveia e Melo also made reference to Ventura’s position that he defended for the country, questioning whether the Chega leader intends to return “to the poverty rates that existed at the time of the dictatorship” or take away freedom from citizens.
The presidential candidate considered that there is “an anti-democratic game that is beginning to take hold” as if it were normal, when it cannot be.
“Democracy, which is tolerance, cannot allow intolerance. Because intolerance subverts democracy to the danger of democracy itself”, he said, advising André Ventura “to play the democratic game”.
Regarding the accusation also made by the Chega leader that he was getting closer to the PS and the Bloco de Esquerda, Gouveia e Melo understood that if Ventura were “a little older” he could “understand the role of Doctor Mário Soares in establishing democracy in Portugal”.
“Maybe, he doesn’t like Dr. Mário Soares, because he’s not truly democratic,” he said.
In turn, the presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes this Sunday that André Ventura “cannot be President of the Republic nor will her”, accusing him of “dividing the Portuguese” and “undermining democracy”.
