Cotrim denies sexual harassment; 30 women defend candidate

The candidate’s reactions to the alleged support for Ventura and the accusation of Inês Bilhão. And he had warned about “false information”.

Some call it , or , or one : this Monday was particularly busy for João Cotrim de Figueiredo. And not for good reasons. But the scenario changed as the hours passed.

In the morning, the presidential candidate supported by the Liberal Initiative (IL) which, if there is a second round and if it is not there, does not exclude support for any of the candidates. “But we would have to think deeply about which candidates we are talking about.”

Asked specifically about André Ventura, the former IL leader admits: “I still haven’t met André Ventura from the last four days. He moderated his speech and seems like a different politician.”

“I’m not going to exclude anyone at this point”, he reinforced.

“I was unclear”

Hours later, Cotrim clarified: “Did I say I would vote for André Ventura? No. I didn’t say. I was unclear, I admit. What I said was that I would not commit to supporting any candidate in the second round.”

“It is obvious that I don’t want André Ventura as President of the Republic”, continued the candidate in .

Cotrim remains confident that he will be in the second round of the presidential elections. This is your “base scenario”.

Harassment accusation

Also this Monday, a accusation of sexual harassmentaddressed to João Cotrim de Figueiredo.

One former advisor parliamentarian from IL, Inês Billion, who now works at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote, in detail: “I will never forget the several times I blocked him when he said to me ‘Excellent work, all you need to do is open your legs with me‘, ‘What kind of men do you like?’, ‘Thicker or longer?’”

“I won’t forget what happens to people who don’t do what he wants or who think differently than him. phone calls what do you do next to undermine work proposals.”

Inês added: “Accuse me of whatever you want, if you have a point to take. I have been silent and I will continue to do so, because I don’t deserve my life to be harmed by what he did. I can’t stand the idea of ​​seeing him in Belém, with Octávio, Bernardo and Ricardo (figures from the Liberal Initiative).”

However, the publication was turned off.

“Ask any woman”

João Cotrim de Figueiredo rejected any sexual harassment: “I was aware of this complaint and it is absolutely and completely false what this lady put out there.”

The candidate announced that Inês will be “obviously” accused of defamation lawsuit: “Because there is politics, there is dirty politics and then there is this. It is absolutely unacceptable. I don’t understand how in Portugal there are still people who think they can do politics this way.”

At the weekend, João Cotrim de Figueiredo had already said: “In this final stretch of the campaign, in which we are becoming more and more uncomfortable, the emergence of false information about me.”

And, returning to Monday’s statements, he challenged: “Ask any of the dozens of women who have worked with me over the years if they have any reason to complain.including the women who worked with me at the same time as this lady”.

Later, a written statement, signed by Cotrim himself: “The slander circulating about my alleged behavior is completely baseless. It is of a gravity that cannot be allowed to pass without reaction. I will sue the people concerned for defamation, regardless of their circumstances and the functions they hold in one of the offices of the current Government.”

30 women defend Cotrim

This Tuesday, the following morning, an open letter signed by 30 women – all defending João Cotrim de Figueiredo.

They all worked with the MEP and “never experienced or witnessed inappropriate behavior”.

“None of us have experienced or witnessed inappropriate behavior in the interactions we had, including in work contexts with several women on the team in which the environment remained professional and respectful”, reads the open letter.

The 30 women ensure that they were always treated with respect, professionalism and consideration: “The objective of this text is simply to add to the public space an honest and collective testimony about what we know first-hand”.

“As the silence of those who know reality can also be a form of injustice, we choose to speak out”, justified the 30 women.

There are some known names on the list of signatures: deputies Joana Cordeiro and Angélique Da Teresa, former deputy Patrícia Gilvaz, and television presenters Iva Domingues and Filipa Garnel.

“My dear opponents, please remain calm”, Cotrim had commented in the afternoon.