Ventura believes that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa coerced the government

Chegi’s leader said on Wednesday that the President of the Republic had coerced the government with his statements about possible reparations to former colonies, and suggested that the PS and SDP opposed his initiative because they agreed with the idea.

“The President touched on the topic of reparations, saying what Portugal should do. Other countries immediately came asking for these reparations. The president of the republic is to blame for all this, and the government felt the need to at least say that this is not so. after this process, so here we have undue influence on constitutional bodies,” he said.

Andre Ventura was speaking to reporters as part of a visit to the Campo de Ourique market in Lisbon when he was asked about the initiative he announced Chega would take so that the government could pursue the case against the Lisbon president. Republic.

President Chegi noted that “there are several” crimes that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa could have committed.

“Treason is a crime that attracts attention and is almost a label for this action,” he said, saying that what could also be at stake is “coercion of constitutional bodies, in which the president forces the government to negotiate on these issues.” . when the government does not want to do it and it is not the responsibility of the government.”

Chegi’s leader added that the president of the republic “has taken on functions that do not belong to him, because it is not the president who manages the process of reparations, but the government.”

Ventura stressed that the charges “will still be brought forward” and “will be as complete as possible.”

“It will also force the government to do this. This will provoke in other countries the creation of interests that are contrary to the interests of Portugal,” he argued, adding that “since the President of the Republic is the head of state throughout the country, the government feels the need to conform to what the President says.”

And he believed that it would be the executive branch that would have to answer to other countries when they asked for reparations.

“The president has confused the government, but, above all, he has confused the entire country, and therefore he must bear responsibility for this,” he emphasized.

Andre Ventura also found it “curious” that the PS and PSD have already spoken out against this initiative “because they don’t yet know what the arguments are”, given that “it is the system that protects itself.”

“Each side will be able to present their arguments about whether they consider this a criminal act, whether they consider it a betrayal. The fact that the PS and SDP do not think so does not surprise me. I even admit that the PS and SDP do not think so. I think it will be useful for us to restore the former colonies and receive compensation,” said President Chegi.