The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today the involvement of a fourth national citizen in the humanitarian flotilla, joining Left Bloc coordinator Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, and activist Miguel Duarte.
Authorities identified the Portuguese national as Diogo Chaves, who came to their attention after family members contacted the Consular Emergency Office.
A video on the Global Movement for Gaza’s social media from the Netherlands identifies Diogo Chaves as “a crew member,” who departed from the port of Sicily, Italy, on the vessel “Selvaggia.”
“I am not an experienced activist. I am a sailor, a student, someone who simply could not stay silent in the face of so much suffering that could have been avoided,” states Chaves in the video released earlier this week.
Chaves describes the initiative as a “non-violent civil mission to deliver humanitarian aid and draw attention to the illegal blockade on Gaza imposed by Israeli occupation forces.”
The flotilla is “a peaceful mission,” yet it “carries a strong message,” he notes: “The world is watching, and we will not let this happen in silence.”
“I believe that human life has value and that people everywhere deserve to live without being bombed, starved, or forgotten,” he adds.
Chaves acknowledges the risks involved in this mission.
“But I also know that doing nothing carries another type of risk: the risk of becoming indifferent. Therefore, I will sail not to spread more hatred but because I still believe in justice, dignity, and the possibility of a better world and that we can all do our part to make it a reality,” he further states.
This afternoon, a video released by Chaves reports his detention.
“Hello. My name is Diogo Chaves, and I am a Portuguese citizen. If you are watching this, it means I have been detained by Israeli occupation forces and taken against my will to Israel,” he asserts, urging the Government to “do everything possible” to secure his return to Portugal.
“More importantly, Israel must stop the blockade and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he emphasizes.
Diogo Chaves is currently studying Climate Physics at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stated today that the Government is working to determine whether all Portuguese citizens “under the responsibility of Israeli authorities” are “at a port” and is attempting to establish contact with the detained activists.
This morning, Montenegro expressed hope that the Portuguese citizens could return to the country “without any incident,” believing that the humanitarian flotilla’s message had been conveyed.
Israeli forces intercepted the Global Flotilla Sumud, comprising approximately 50 vessels, overnight into this morning as it headed to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, detaining participants, including four Portuguese citizens.
Activists from Spain, Italy, Turkey, Malaysia, Tunisia, Brazil, and France were also detained, as well as citizens from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and Colombia, among many others—the organizers reported a lack of information on the whereabouts of 443 participants in the humanitarian mission.
