Assis censures Pizarro's stance on aggression

Following the disclosure of the facts about the disagreement between Filipe Araújo and Vasco Ribeiro in the VIP tent of the Primavera Sound festival, the socialist candidate for the Porto local government stated on social media that he “absolutely condemned the aggression” against the independent candidate, revealing that he had had the “opportunity to show his solidarity”.

"I absolutely condemn the attack on candidate Filipe Araújo by a prominent leader of the PSD candidacy. I have already had the opportunity to express my solidarity."

"I totally repudiate violence, which is even more incomprehensible and condemnable in a political context." pic.twitter.com/LIOG9OtA0F

— Manuel Pizarro (@MPizarroPorto) June 13, 2025

The Socialist Party MEP stresses that Manuel Pizarro “has known Vasco Ribeiro for many years and knows that he is a man of character, incapable of spreading any type of hate speech (as is now being said), unaffected by violence, and naturally predisposed to respect others”. In the publication, Francisco Assis states that both Vasco Ribeiro and Filipe Araújo “present different versions of what happened and both are certainly remorseful for their actions”, adding that Pizarro “cannot issue a statement aiming to assassinate the character of a dignified man out of pure revenge and electoral opportunism”.

“Or rather, he could, and he could do so. He shouldn’t have done it. He debased himself and dragged the PS down with him”, adds Francisco Assis, admitting that the socialist candidate is “hurt for not having the electoral support” of Vasco Ribeiro “given the great closeness they had”. The MEP expressed his “outrage” with Manuel Pizarro’s stance and “made it clear” that there is “a part of the PS” that “considers the attitude of the former Minister of Health despicable”.

In a response sent to Observador, a source for Manuel Pizarro's candidacy says that “this statement by Francisco Assis is not understood, as he appears to be whitewashing the behavior of one of his direct collaborators for many years”, recalling the episode of aggression against Assis in Felgueiras, in 2003, in which “Manuel Pizarro was on his side, as he was now on the side of the person who was attacked”.

“Furthermore, the person involved in the aggression made a different judgment and decided to resign from the PSD campaign and the PSD candidate, although with delay but accepting the gesture as indefensible, decided to accept this resignation”, concludes the socialist campaign.

News updated at 4:18 pm with the response to Manuel Pizarro's candidacy