Ahead of Portugal’s parliamentary elections this Sunday, André Ventura, the right-wing Chega party’s leader, has targeted Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with a bold statement.
At an Olhão, Algarve rally on Thursday, Ventura promised to prevent Lula from entering Portugal on April 25 if Chega wins.
Invited for the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, Lula had participated in last year’s event, delivering a speech.
Ventura warned Lula to reconsider his trip. He said, “If I’m Prime Minister, Mr. Lula da Silva will be stopped at the airport. If he tries harder, jail awaits him.”
This threat also reached Pedro Sánchez, Spain‘s Prime Minister, with Ventura suggesting his visits should be “when necessary,” aiming to restrict his entries.
Ventura declared Portugal’s right to decide on entry, highlighting an anti-corruption stance. “We still decide who enters and who doesn’t in this country.
We have enough corrupt people; we don’t need more from outside,” he remarked.
Recent polls indicate a tilt toward the right. The Democratic Alliance (AD) leads with 29.3%, a five-point increase from February, according to Publico newspaper.
The Socialist Party (PS) has a slight gain at 23.3%, up from the previous poll.
Chega experienced a minor dip to 15.6% from 16.5%, while the Liberal Initiative (IL) rose from 6.6% to 7.8%.
AD’s leaders have dismissed any plans to ally with Chega for a majority.
Together with centrist groups, they would garner 37.1% of votes, overshadowing the PS and smaller left-wing parties at 35.2%.