“No relevant information was communicated to us by the Government. It was through the President of the Republic now that we learned that the four Portuguese nationals are on land, at an Israeli port, and that there is a possibility, not yet confirmed, of the Portuguese citizens being visited by the Portuguese ambassador in Israel,” he stated.
These statements were made about half an hour after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, mentioned the possibility of a consular visit on Friday morning, contrary to Israel’s initial expectation of a first direct contact on Sunday.
Fabian Figueiredo emphasized that a meeting with the Government had been requested regarding this case. After Rangel denied withholding information from the Bloco, particularly from “high officials,” Figueiredo reiterated: “We requested meetings with the MNE twice. Until now, we have received no response to know what actions were being taken and what measures the Government will adopt” regarding the four detentions.
To Notícias ao Minuto, the Bloco de Esquerda provided an image of the email sent to the MNE, visible below.
The Portuguese Foreign Minister, Paulo Rangel, discussed Israel’s interception of the humanitarian flotilla heading to Gaza a month ago. He also mentioned the possibility of “consular visits” starting Friday.
Ana Teresa Banha | 14:22 – 02/10/2025
“Even if there was an information blackout at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, [Paulo Rangel] could certainly have seen this information published in various media outlets. If the minister had difficulty finding that email, we can resend it,” he added, stressing the need to “move past this episode” so that the most important outcome, the freedom of the detainees, can happen.
Fabian Figueiredo also urged the Executive to summon Oren Rozenblat, Israel’s ambassador to Portugal, as countries like Spain have done. Rangel stated on CNN Portugal that the priority was the return of the citizens, and concerning diplomatic relations, he “would address that subsequently”.
It should be recalled that the four Portuguese on the flotilla heading to Gaza are detained by Israeli forces. Among them are the leader of the Bloco de Esquerda, Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, activist Miguel Duarte, and lastly, Diogo Chaves. Rangel explained to CNN Portugal, prior to the statement from Bloco, that Diogo Chaves did not depart from Barcelona.
It was only known this Thursday that there was a fourth Portuguese on the flotilla, with the family contacting the MNE. The individual hadn’t informed authorities of his participation in the humanitarian mission, according to the minister.
[News updated at 15:33]
