The far-right Portuguese party Chega is being accused of manipulating a video showing an immigrant confronting the party’s leader, André Ventura, who accused him of fabricating his story to harm the party ahead of the European Union election.
Chega, which is anti-immigration and populist, currently occupies the position of third largest Portuguese party, having quadrupled its parliamentary representation in the general election held in March.
Bangladeshi citizen Iqbal Hossain approached Ventura at an event on Thursday to complain about the poor living conditions of immigrants, mainly Indonesians, who work in the fishing industry.
Crying, he said he sent his daughter back to Bangladesh because of the racism immigrants often face.
Ventura took to social media on Friday to claim that Hossain was “planted” at the campaign event and that he “fabricated” the story. He and other Chega legislators shared a video of the conversation, which differed from that shown by press outlets.
Around 800,000 immigrants live in Portugal, almost double the number observed a decade ago. Police data shows that hate crimes will grow by 38% in 2023, compared to a year earlier. New nationalist groups also emerged.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
