Did Cotrim say he would support Ventura in a second round? Here are the presidential candidate’s statements in full

Monday, 12 January 2026RSS
Did Cotrim say he would support Ventura in a second round? Here are the presidential candidate’s statements in full

It was one of the topics that marked the day of the campaign. João Cotrim de Figueiredo acknowledged on Monday that he had been “unclear” in his remarks about a possible endorsement in a second round of the presidential election, after admitting that he did not rule out supporting any candidate.

Hours after saying he “did not rule out any hypothesis” of offering support in a second round, the presidential candidate clarified that he does not commit to anyone and emphasised that he does not want André Ventura as President of the Republic. But, after all: did Cotrim say he supported Ventura in a second round?

Cotrim de Figueiredo’s original statements appear in the first two minutes of the video above.

Context & Explainers

André Ventura

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.

View full article on CNN Portugal

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