This position on the situation of Portuguese citizens detained in Israel, among whom is the coordinator of the Left Bloc, Mariana Mortágua, was conveyed by António Leitão Amaro at a press conference following the Cabinet meeting.
“This [consular] support exists, this support is ongoing. The objective is to maintain this consular support to repatriate the Portuguese citizens in safe conditions,” stated the government official.
Between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of approximately 50 vessels heading to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid, was intercepted by Israeli forces, which detained four Portuguese citizens, including Mariana Mortágua and actress Sofia Aparício.
In light of this incident, the Minister of the Presidency also emphasized that the Portuguese citizens now detained “embarked of their own free will, by their responsibility, with a side that is respectable, as it is an exercise of freedom.”
“I do not wish to pass any value judgment on this, but they embarked knowing the risks, having been warned of the risks, and having always been accompanied from the consular perspective by the Government and Portuguese authorities,” he stressed.
António Leitão Amaro then highlighted that, during the journey these Portuguese citizens made by sea toward the Gaza Strip, there was always consular support. This, according to the minister, happened as they passed into other geographies that would fall under the jurisdiction of other consular regions.
“We are witnessing an exercise of freedom by the individuals themselves, their responsibility, and the Portuguese Government has consistently warned of the risks and contributed alternatives that might better preserve, perhaps in a different manner, the objective under other safety conditions,” he said.
According to the Minister of the Presidency, efforts were made “to find solutions, particularly with the Italian Government” — the European government with whom there was closer contact.
“Now that the situation has materialized, naturally the objective is to maintain this consular support to repatriate the Portuguese citizens under safe conditions. As is known, [the Portuguese] are some among around 500 people involved” in the group of detainees, he added.
