“The attack, from what I know from the news, was carried out off the coast of Tunisia, in international waters. International laws and navigation laws must be respected, and we, as a State, must strive for these laws to be upheld,” declared Henrique Gouveia e Melo, during a visit to Agroglobal at the National Center for Agricultural Exhibitions and Markets (CNEMA) in Santarém.
The candidate, who served as the Chief of Naval Staff, emphasized that the Portuguese State should react given that a vessel under the Portuguese flag was attacked outside a conflict zone.
“In my opinion, it should [take a stand], because it is an incident in international waters, in an area that is not declared as a conflict zone, and we should not allow vessels to be attacked in international waters,” he explained.
The candidate stressed that, although the Portuguese State should not assume responsibility for vessels voluntarily entering conflict zones, the case in question demands diplomatic attention.
“It’s one thing for a vessel to enter a declared conflict zone, a high-risk area, and in that case, the responsibility of such an action may be deemed irresponsible, and should not fall on the Portuguese State,” he argued.
However, he continued, “in international waters, in a normal navigation context, a vessel with a Portuguese flag being attacked should be a concern for the Portuguese State”.
The attack took place at night when a drone launched an incendiary device on the ‘Family Boat’, a vessel under the Portuguese flag that is part of the Global Flotilla Sumud, causing a fire that was controlled by the crew and passengers on board, including activist Miguel Duarte.
Mariana Mortágua, coordinator of the Left Bloc who also participates in the mission, called for an international community response, emphasizing that “no intimidation attempt will be successful”.
