"The President launched the reparations theme by saying what Portugal should do. Other countries immediately came asking for these reparations. All of this is the President of the Republic's fault and the Government felt the need to at least say that it is not supporting this process, so here we have an undue influence on the constitutional bodies", he stated.

André Ventura was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to the Campo de Ourique Market, in Lisbon, when he was asked about the initiative that he announced that Chega will deliver so that the Government moves forward with a process against the President of the Republic.

The president of Chega indicated that there are "several" crimes that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa may have committed.

"Treason is a crime that draws attention and is almost the label for this action", he stated, alleging that it may also involve "coercion on constitutional bodies, in which a President forces the Government to basically negotiate these matters when the Government does not want to do so and it is not the Government's competence".

The leader of Chega added that the President of the Republic "took on functions that are not his because it is not up to the president to manage the reparations process, it is up to the Government".

Ventura stressed that the accusation "will still be made" and "will be as complete as possible".

"He will have coerced the Government into this as well. He will have created interests contrary to the Portuguese interest in other countries", he argued, specifying that, "since the President of the Republic is the head of state of the entire country, the Government feels the need to respond to what the President is saying".

And he considered that it is the executive that will have to respond to other countries when they ask for reparations.

"The President has put the Government in a pickle, but above all, he has put the entire country in a huge pickle, and therefore he has to be responsible for it", he stressed.

André Ventura also considered it "curious" that the PS and PSD have already spoken out against this initiative "because they do not yet know what the arguments are", considering that "it is the system protecting itself".

"Each party may present its arguments on whether it believes this was a criminal act, whether it believes it was treason. I am not surprised that the PS and PSD do not believe it. I even admit that the PS and PSD think it is good for us to repair the former colonies and compensate them", said the president of Chega.

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