“What is required is that the process proceeds with common sense. That Portuguese citizens have access to consular services provided by the Government, and that deportation is carried out swiftly,” stated José Pedro Aguiar-Branco to Agência Lusa.
Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising around 50 vessels, en route to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid, detaining participants, including four Portuguese citizens: the leader of the Left Block, Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, and activists Miguel Duarte and Diogo Chaves.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro expressed hope that Portuguese citizens could return to the country “without any incident,” acknowledging that the humanitarian flotilla’s message had been conveyed.
Among the detained were 30 Spaniards, 22 Italians, 21 Turks, 12 Malaysians, 11 Tunisians, 11 Brazilians, and 10 French nationals, as well as citizens from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and Colombia, among others. The organizers reported a lack of information regarding the whereabouts of 443 participants in the humanitarian mission.
