Catarina Martins for Ventura: “Don’t be nervous” – Portugal
Follow here the debate on SIC between a leader of the Left Bloc, Catarina Martins, and the leader of Chega, André Ventura, on the start-up day of the face-to-face presidential elections on 30 January.
to the minuteUpdated 1 hour ago
1 hour ago
January 2, 2022 at 23:20
Ventura: “I was never convicted of racism”
Ventura was prepared with an old newspaper article with a quote from Mamadou Ba, then BE adviser in Parliament, when the term “the bullshit” to point to the inconsistency of Catarina Martins, a legal defender of security.
Catarina accused him of being the only politician with a final conviction for racism, Ventura countered that not only was he not convicted in any criminal proceedings, but he was never “convicted of racism”, admitting that he had been convicted “of offenses to a family “. He also accused Catarina Martins, in this context, of understanding little about Law. The debate ended in an accusatory tone, on both sides, and more of an almost personal attack than of political content.
Catarina Martins: “When are you accusing me of kidnapping Santa Claus?”
“You don’t even know were the proposals” by Chega, accused André Ventrura. The leader of Chega also noted that he wanted to reduce the salaries of deputies and that Catarina Martins and BE voted against. “You’re lying but how good an actress is!” He insisted again on the criticism of the RSI and on subsidy dependence, namely in the Azores, “and half living on someone else’s account”. Catarina Martins had defended social support, Ventura accused BE of wanting to support the creation of a line to support immigrants “arriving from the Mediterranean with their mobile phone in hand”. I’m just looking at “when will you accuse me of kidnapping Santa Claus”.
Catherine voted to quote Pope Francis’ message of solidarity with migrants, Ventura countered, again interrupting that “she is very religious”.
And also: “I know the Azores”. And he recalled that there the RSi is lower than in the rest of the country and that “most of the beneficiaries are mothers with several children with single-parent families”. And that’s why BE prefers to go “after economic crime”.
Catarina Martins: Don’t be nervous “
“The candidate from the far right is more predictable than a broken record”, pointed out Catarina Martins. And recorded that Ventura voted against the end of gold visas. “We hear the extreme right attacking immigrants”, but “when we talk about millionaires, the extreme right already likes it. It always defends the millionaires and attacks the poor workers”. Faced with Ventura’s interruptions, he snapped, “Don’t be nervous.”
Ventura: “Support solutions when the Portuguese haven’t voted is premature.”
André Ventura, for the same question, pointed out Rui Rio, who informs that he prefers PS to Chega. He returned to insisting on the usual issues: combating subsidy dependence, supporting companies and the rural world: “Only Chega would be able to ensure its representation.” “Support solutions when the Portuguese have not voted is premature.”
Catarina Martins once again insisted on corruption, on the need to criminalize transfers to offshores and do away with Gold visas. Ventura replied that it is enough for the BE to present proposals and it will vote. And he wants to double penalties for corruption: which BE has already refused in parliament. He also made a personal comment: “Catarina Martins was an actress, I was a tax inspector.” And he claimed to be the deputy who offered the most offers against corruption.
And he accused BE of being the fourth party with the highest real estate assets, “without paying IMI”, as is the law.
BE wants to strengthen itself, but doesn’t say if it wants to be in government
The first question, for Catarina Martins, was: “Without a majority in the PS, are you going to demand to be in government?”
The BE leader avoided answering directly and stressed that “BE has been the third force and has always proven to be the solutions force”. You want a cycle with enhanced left strength. And finally, without answering, launching a new theme, corruption, in which he accused Chega of being absent, with André Ventura, in the background, saying “he’s lying”.
Faced with the journalist’s insistence, Catarina Martins also insisted: again, without BE’s reinforcement.
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