The Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, João Paulo Correia, was Vichyssoise’s guest and answered the Observer’s questions from Doha, in Qatar, a few meters from the stadium where Portugal faced Ghana on Thursday. From Qatar, he criticized the country saying that the “euphoria of the World Cup” should not “silence” political leaders “against those who do not respect human rights.” Even so, the head of the Sports portfolio limits the presence of Portuguese politicians in the country to a single mission: supporting the national soccer team.
After the Portuguese Football Federation signed a manifesto in which it praised Qatar’s progress in the field of Human Rights, João Paulo Correia says that he “would not endorse for sure” the position of the body chaired by Fernando Gomes. The official says that his position, and that of the Executive, on the Qatari regime is “much more precise and concrete and obviously censures the State of Qatar and its authorities.”
Regarding the accusations that the former governor of the Bank of Portugal made to António Costa regarding the departure of Isabel dos Santos from the BIC, João Paulo Correia says that “Dr. Carlos Costa allowed himself to be used by the PSD”.
He went to Qatar to see the first match of the Portuguese team in the World Cup. Can’t the government’s presence at this event be interpreted, as various parties and even political leaders from other countries have pointed out, as a validation of the Qatari regime?
No, you can’t. The assessment we make of the Qatari regime is that of a country that disrespects human rights, more specifically in discrimination against women, in the criminalization of homosexuality, the most flagrant examples. But Portugal qualified for the World Cup with all the sporting merit and the presence of political leaders represents that and only that: support for the team. It can never be interpreted as any complicity or support for the regime.
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Source: Observadora
