In parliament an MP, Mendes de Carvalho threatened that he would be killed. Marques wrote a letter of protest to President dos Santos which is printed further below on this page. Speaking during a parliamentary debate on freedom of the press and of expression in Angola, De Carvalho stated that if Marques continued to criticize in writing the president of the republic, he will not live to the age of forty.
Marques is twenty-eight.
To date, neither the president nor the ruling party have commented on or distanced themselves from De Carvalho's comments. Following is the full text of a letter by Marques to the president of the Angolan National Assembly, Roberto de Alameda. As you are no doubt aware, in remarks offered during a parliamentary debate concerning freedom of the press and of expression in Angola, Mr. Mendes de Carvalho stated, in substance, that, if I continue to criticize in writing the President of the Republic, I will not live to the age of 40. I am 28 years old at present. Surely the role of Parliament is to protect, and not to endanger, the right to life.