Recently, a list was made public containing the names of people who were allegedly considered targets for elimination by a far-right organization about which I had previously written.
I am referring to the Movimento Armilar Lusitano (Lusitanian Armillary Movement), in what is clearly an attempt to create the acronym MAL (“evil” in Portuguese), leaving little doubt about the level of morality and intelligence at work within the organization.
This is the latest evolution of the fascist groups that have emerged in Portugal over recent decades, most of them led by descendants of those who were never properly held accountable in the aftermath of the April 25 Revolution. Many families with deep-rooted ties to Salazar’s regime simply carried on with their lives, keeping their heads down and pretending that this democracy business had nothing to do with them, until the time came to regroup and prepare a new attempt to take control of the country. The prime example of this generation is Pacheco de Amorim, whose family legacy is thoroughly documented in Miguel Carvalho’s book, and who now leads a significant faction within Ventura’s party.
The list compiled by MAL is a mixed assortment that throws Montenegro, António Costa, Paulo Raimundo, Mariana Mortágua, but also Ricardo Araújo Pereira, Raquel Varela, and other well-known public figures into the same basket. It caters to almost every taste, except for the more economically liberal—and, of course, the fascists themselves.
Nor should we overlook the hardly surprising fact that, according to the investigation launched by the authorities, the first intended target was allegedly an immigrant from Bangladesh who dared confront André Ventura during an election campaign event.
This phenomenon deserves serious reflection for two reasons.
First, because the recent “little humiliation” suffered by Spinumviva in Parliament apparently was not enough for Montenegro to realize that he is not the savior he believes himself to be. Ventura made it perfectly clear that Luís’s work will ultimately benefit only him, and that, when the time comes, he will burn every bridge with those unwilling to join his party, before putting them on public trial.
Second, because the published list places very different political forces on the same level, helping to normalize the far-right narrative that seeks to convince us that anyone who is not like them belongs in the same category. Among the dozens of journalists who reported on the list, I noticed no effort to explain the ideological—and even moral—differences between a comedian simply doing his job, a trade union leader, an independent researcher, or a party leader, as opposed to the neoliberalism associated with Spinumviva, which serves as fuel for the fire of fascism. I had hoped they would instead publish the names of those who belong to or support MAL, among whom, it is said, is the father of Matias, currently Ventura’s favorite propagandist.
The publication of this list is yet another sign of the weakening of our democratic society.
Here in the islands, we are already hearing of cases involving harassment, active surveillance, and threats against journalists, politicians, and civic activists in our communities.
This wave will not be stopped easily, and we are already halfway through its violent break. It is time to resist. Time to remember that the light of hope is fueled by the fire of courage. We defeated the labor package this time, but much more remains to be defeated. We must raise our voices together and declare that, against this MAL, only the common good will prevail.
Alexandra Manes is from Flores Island but lives on Terceira Island in the Azores. She is a regular contributor to several Azorean newspapers, a political and cultural activist, and has served in the Azorean Parliament.
NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from leading thinkers and writers in the Azores, providing the diaspora and those interested in the current state of the Azores with a sense of the significant perspectives on some of the archipelago’s issues.
Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL)