Far-right party CHEGA is expecting historic local election results in the Algarve, where it believes it can win in several municipalities, including Portimão.
However, its campaign in the borough has raised eyebrows due to the party’s choice of candidate for the parish council of Alvor – José Camilo, a man who was removed from the GNR police force and who has been photographed with neo-Nazi, Mário Machado, currently serving a two-year and ten-month prison sentence for incitement to hatred and violence.
According to SIC, Camilo was removed from the force for “clearly failing to meet professional requirements” required from a GNR officer. However, GNR sources also told SIC that he was accused of making false statements in court on behalf of suspected traffickers and smugglers.
“I had a corrupt sergeant who treated us badly and lied during an investigation, so I testified in favour of a group of fishermen in court against GNR,” Camilo told SIC in his defence.
Since leaving law enforcement, Camilo has dedicated his life to politics, joining CHEGA in 2020. He has also appeared at events organised by far-right activist Mário Machado – a connection documented in photographs – though he insists his attendance was no different from photos he has taken with other political figures such as Mário Soares, José Sócrates, and Ramalho Eanes.
Nonetheless, the photograph has made waves online, with many local residents in Portimão taking to social media to express their worries over CHEGA’s choice of candidate.
