Suzana Garcia

Last updated
Suzana Garcia
Member of the Amadora City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
20 October 2021
Political party Social Democratic Party
Children2
Education Colégio São José do Ramalhão
Alma mater Catholic University of Portugal
Occupation Lawyer • Crime commentator • Politician

Suzana Maria de Freitas Santos Garcia (born August 1980) is a Mozambican-born Portuguese criminal lawyer, crime commentator and politician, known for her appearances on television programs and for her political activity, as a member of the Amadora City Council since 2021. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Suzana Garcia was born in Maputo, Mozambique, in August 1980. She is the daughter of a Portuguese father, who worked as a geologist, and a mixed-race Mozambican mother, daughter of a white father and a black mother. [3] At the age of 6, she started studying at a Catholic school in South Africa during the Apartheid regime, for 5 years, an experience that had profound impact on her. [4] She moved to Portugal at the age of 11. [5] In Portugal, she continued her studies at Colégio São José do Ramalhão, in Sintra, and later graduated in Law at the Catholic University of Portugal. [6]

Television career

Garcia gained prominence in 2016, when she became a commentator on TVI's "SOS 24" program. [7] Later, she regularly participated on the talk show "Você na TV!", hosted by Manuel Luís Goucha and Cristina Ferreira (2016–2018), where her blunt opinions generated controversy and media attention. In September 2020, she announced her departure from TVI, alleging the existence of a "climate of fear" at the station. [8]

In November 2023, she returned to TVI as a commentator, on the talk show "Dois à 10", hosted by Cristina Ferreira and Cláudio Ramos. [9]

Political career

In 2021, Suzana Garcia became involved in politics, being chosen by the Social Democratic Party as the candidate for the mayorship of Amadora in the local elections of that year. [10] [11] She led a coalition between the Social Democratic Party, CDS – People's Party, Alliance, the Earth Party and the Democratic Republican Party, as an independent politician. Her candidacy generated debate and praise due to her controversial opinions on various topics. [12] [13] In the election, her candidacy came in second place, receiving 24.6% of the votes and electing three councilors (including Garcia), but far behind the Socialist Party, led by Carla Tavares — Mayor of Amadora from 2013 to 2024 and eventual MEP —, which won 43.9% of the votes and an absolute majority of seven councillors in the 11-seat-council. [14] Along with the other councilors, Garcia took the oath of office on 20 October 2021. [15]

In September 2023, Garcia again announced her candidacy for the mayorship of Amadora, in the 2025 local elections. [16] [17] Leading a coalition comprising the Democratic Alliance parties (Social Democratic Party and CDS – People's Party), the Earth Party and RIR, the bid came again in second place in the election, but by a far shorter margin than in 2021: Garcia's coalition received 30.0% of the votes and elected four councilors (including Garcia), against the same number of councilors elected by the Socialist Party, which received 33.0% of the votes. [18] Although the Socialist Mayor of Amadora Vítor Ferreira (in office since July 2024) was re-elected for a new term, the Socialist Party lost the absolute majority in the 11-seat-council, with Chega electing, for the first time, two councilors (including MP Rui Paulo Sousa, with the party receiving 17.6% of the votes) and PCP-PEV keeping their single councilor (with 7.0% of the votes). [18]

Garcia considers Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto and Golda Meir as her main role models, [19] as well as Rui Rio and Francisco Sá Carneiro. [20] She has expressed interest in Singapore's urban and economic development model, as well as in the American melting pot model of cultural integration. [20] Additionally, she has also praised Isaltino Morais and Alberto João Jardim as examples that she would like to follow if elected as Mayor of Amadora, citing the improvements in living standards, infrastructure and education in their respective territories during their tenures. [20] [21]

Personal life

In July 2023, Suzana Garcia became mother of twins, after four miscarriages, at the age of 42. [22] [23]

References

  1. ↑ "Suzana Garcia – Candidata à Presidência da Câmara Municipal da Amadora" (in European Portuguese). 2024-07-12. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  2. ↑ MALUCO BELEZA (2019-12-05). Suzana Garcia - Advogada - MALUCO BELEZA LIVESHOW . Retrieved 2025-01-05– via YouTube.
  3. ↑ TVI (2021-04-29). Suzana Garcia emocionada: «É por isso que me magoa tanto quando dizem que sou racista» | Goucha . Retrieved 2025-01-05– via YouTube.
  4. ↑ TVI (2021-04-29). Suzana Garcia emocionada: «É por isso que me magoa tanto quando dizem que sou racista» | Goucha . Retrieved 2025-01-06– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ "Suzana Garcia em lágrimas: A morte do pai, abortos e os casos polémicos que defendeu".
  6. ↑ "Visão | Suzana Garcia. Quem é a polémica advogada que agrada ao PSD e ao Chega para a Amadora". Visão (in European Portuguese). 2021-03-31. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  7. ↑ ""As pessoas que não sabem viver no âmbito da ordem pública têm que ser punidas"". TVI Player (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  8. ↑ "Suzana Garcia despede-se do "Você na TV!": "Saio, mas o Manuel Luís Goucha não sai do meu coração"". A Ex-periência (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  9. ↑ "Suzana Garcia revela o motivo do seu regresso à TVI: «Deram-me uma razão mais do que válida»". Dois às 10 (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  10. ↑ "Rui Rio aprovou Suzana Garcia para a Amadora". www.sabado.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  11. ↑ "Suzana Garcia - Amadora | PSD". www.psd.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  12. ↑ SAPO. "Suzana Garcia: a candidata que gera discórdia dentro do próprio partido". SAPO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  13. ↑ "Visão | Suzana Garcia: "Irei fazer coligações com Deus e com o Diabo"". Visão (in European Portuguese). 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  14. ↑ "Eleições autárquicas 2021 > Amadora > Câmara Municipal" [2021 local election > Amadora > Town Council]. Ministry of Home Affairs (in Portuguese). Government of Portugal. 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "Ata do Ato de Instalação da Câmara Municipal da Amadora" [Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of the Amadora Municipal Council](PDF). Câmara Municipal da Amadora (in Portuguese). Câmara Municipal da Amadora. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  16. ↑ TVI (2023-09-27). Exclusivo: Suzana Garcia anuncia candidatura à Câmara Municipal da Amadora | Goucha . Retrieved 2025-01-05– via YouTube.
  17. ↑ Castro, Adriana (2025-07-15). "PSD confirma apoio a Isaltino e Dores Meira e recandidata Suzana Garcia na Amadora". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  18. 1 2 "Eleições autárquicas 2025 > Amadora > Câmara Municipal" [2025 local election > Amadora > Town Council]. Ministry of Home Affairs (in Portuguese). Government of Portugal. 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  19. ↑ MALUCO BELEZA (2019-12-05). Suzana Garcia - Advogada - MALUCO BELEZA LIVESHOW . Retrieved 2025-01-05– via YouTube.
  20. 1 2 3 Sapage, Sónia (2021-04-09). "Suzana Garcia quer transformar a Amadora numa "Singapura"". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-06.
  21. ↑ Simões, Ana Maria (2021-05-21). "Suzana Garcia. "Se eu conseguir fazer da Amadora o que Alberto João Jardim fez da Madeira posso morrer feliz"". Jornal i (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-06.
  22. ↑ "Já nasceram os filhos gémeos da advogada Suzana Garcia". www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
  23. ↑ "Goucha - A primeira entrevista da advogada Suzana Garcia depois de ser mãe!". TVI Player (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-05.
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