One of the moments from the debate between Pacheco Pereira and André Ventura regarding political prisoners before and after the 25th of April.
Some comparisons are lies in themselves: talking about what happened in 74/75/76 versus the 48 years prior

Context & Explainers

Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
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Other news coverage of this topic
- Who won the debate between André Ventura and Pacheco Pereira? • Público
- Pacheco Pereira threw history into the mix, while Ventura insisted on comparisons during a debate on 'blinders' • Expresso
- Pacheco Pereira and Ventura disagreed on everything in a debate marked by interruptions • Público
- Pacheco Pereira vs. André Ventura: the key moments of a historic debate • CNN Portugal
- The Pacheco Pereira vs Ventura debate on prisoners and dictatorship • Observador
- What if Spain invaded Portugal? "I would fight for my country," guarantees Ventura • CNN Portugal
- "We had a miserable revolution" - says Ventura about the 25th of April • CNN Portugal
- Has democracy harmed this country? • Dinheiro Vivo
- Pacheco Pereira brought a wooden paddle to the debate with André Ventura • CNN Portugal
- Don't tell me that everyone who was imprisoned in the colonies were political prisoners • CNN Portugal
- Pacheco Pereira explains his idea of patriotism: "Whoever fought against the dictatorship before the 25th of April fought for Portugal" • CNN Portugal
- This 'miserable' revolution gave Portugal its freedom • CNN Portugal
- The full debate between Pacheco Pereira and André Ventura • CNN Portugal
- It is André Ventura who is using a technique similar to the communists • CNN Portugal
- "That is how a patriot speaks, not with whining," argues Ventura • CNN Portugal
- You will not find in the entire history of the Estado Novo an order from the Prime Minister to arrest anyone • CNN Portugal
- Do you know where there is treason against the country? It is in the cruelty of Chega • CNN Portugal
- "Do not talk to me about Humberto Delgado!", Ventura demands. But Pacheco Pereira does talk about Humberto Delgado - and his mother-in-law murdered in cold blood • CNN Portugal
- Pacheco Pereira and André Ventura bring the same report to the debate • CNN Portugal
- Speaking the way André Ventura speaks is justifying dictatorship • CNN Portugal
- Do you know what 48 years of systematic torture, humiliation, violence, and censorship are? • CNN Portugal










