In Sobral de Monte Agraço, Ventura bought bananas and promised to give the fruit’s flesh to friends and the peels to his opponents. For Cotrim, a reminder that the race to Belém is not a 'beauty contest'.
Ventura says he doesn't want to be a 'miss' and shows 'bananas' on the campaign trail
Friday, 9 January 2026RSS
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Context & Explainers
André Ventura, born January 15, 1983, is a lawyer, academic, and Portugal's most prominent far-right leader. He founded Chega ("Enough") in 2019 after his PSD mayoral campaign attacked the Romani community. Chega surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest party and making Ventura Leader of the Opposition.
His platform emphasizes immigration restrictions, law-and-order policies, constitutional reform, and contains inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric that has triggered multiple discrimination convictions and investigations. Politically classified as far-right by international media, Ventura cultivates alliances with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen and Santiago Abascal.
He announced his 2026 presidential candidacy, polling at 18% alongside independent Admiral Gouveia e Melo. His rise ended Portugal's 50-year resistance to far-right parties.
