Portugal’s controversial far-right summit attracts prominent nationalists – including former US border chief

A controversial far-right gathering in Portugal sparked fresh outrage over the weekend as it attracted several prominent anti-immigration and nationalist figures, including former US Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who appeared as a surprise guest speaker at the so-called “Remigration Summit”, organised by the nationalist movement Reconquista.

The event, which took place on Saturday (May 30), was initially planned for Porto before being relocated to Figueira da Foz at the last minute.

Bovino, who previously led the United States Border Patrol, was unveiled as the summit’s mystery guest. During his time in office, US immigration enforcement agencies carried out a series of highly controversial operations under the administration of President Donald Trump. Among the list of accusations against his leadership were aggressive tactics, including actions that allegedly resulted in civilian deaths and the detention of migrant children. Reports of those operations drew international criticism and, according to summit organizers, contributed to Bovino’s departure from the role.

The conference also featured Italian activist Andrea Ballarati, organiser of the first Remigration Summit in Milan, and Austrian activist Martin Sellner, leader of the Austrian Identitarian Movement. Sellner has become one of Europe’s most prominent advocates of “remigration,” a concept promoting the large-scale deportation of immigrants from European countries.

The term gained widespread attention after a controversial meeting in Potsdam, Germany, where politicians and activists reportedly discussed mass deportation proposals. The gathering sparked national debate and protests across Germany.

Photographs shared on social media showed Bovino, Sellner, Ballarati and Reconquista leader Afonso Gonçalves together during the event. Another expected speaker, German activist Maximilian Märkl, was reportedly prevented from attending after being stopped by German authorities before boarding his flight.

Among the political figures present were Spanish VOX deputy Carlos Quero and Slovak MEP Milan Mazurek, representing the Republic party. They were the only elected politicians with parliamentary representation known to have attended.

Reconquista under scrutiny

The Reconquista movement has gained notoriety in Portugal through videos published online by its leader, Afonso Gonçalves. Critics have accused the group of targeting immigrants in public confrontations designed for social media.

Gonçalves has also attracted criticism for comments regarding women and voting rights, statements that have fuelled further controversy around the movement.

One of the greatest examples of this came during the podcast Cdk, hosted by businessman Miguel Milhão, when Gonçalves made a series of remarks about women that have triggered strong criticism online.

“Women, in general, are not very rational and do not even have the capacity to understand the common good, the good of the nation.”

He then sought to frame the comments as a reflection of what he described as women’s natural role in society.

“But that is not necessarily a bad thing. I am not attacking women. It is important to understand this. This is in the nature of women. There is no problem with women being like this.”

He then went on to question whether women should have a role in deciding the political future of a country.

“I do not want to give the decision about the future of my country to women. I do not think they should have that responsibility because they are biologically designed to have a child, to hold a child, to care for a child, and not to make important decisions about the future of a country.”

Although Portugal’s right-wing Chega party has publicly distanced itself from Reconquista, some party figures have previously attended events linked to the organisation, including MP Pedro Frazão.

The appearance of several international guests has also raised questions about how such events are financed.

Source: Euronews.com