Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, who just last week traveled for more than 90 hours by boat as part of the Nuestra América Convoy that carried humanitarian aid to Cuba from Mexico, was barred from entering Argentina by the country’s authorities.
Ávila serves as international coordinator of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), an international initiative that has launched several flotillas to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza amid Israel’s genocidal siege on the enclave. Each attempt to reach Gaza’s coast, however, has been thwarted by Israeli military forces and the hundreds of participants in such efforts over the last several years have been detained, imprisoned, and later deported.
Regarding the denial of entry into Argentina, immigration authorities stated that when Ávila was about to enter, “an alert appeared”. According to a statement released by the GSF, the decision was made “by the highest levels of government.”
On March 30, Ávila participated in an event in Uruguay organized by a labor union, where he gave a talk and announced the creation of a branch of the humanitarian flotilla in Montevideo. He then attempted to travel to Argentina to do the same.
According to Ávila’s account, “They took me to a room … where they constantly asked me what I was going to say at the press conference. I was going to speak about the role of the Milei government in the genocide, and I was also going to discuss the agreements Argentina signed to defend human rights (the Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute), and that it was the government’s duty to uphold those agreements.”
“That really upset them [the immigration police], and they told me that an order had come from the highest levels of the government prohibiting my entry [into Argentina], that I am not welcome in Argentina, and that they would not allow me to speak in Argentina,” Ávila added. While the interrogation was taking place, he said that many people gathered outside the airport demanding that he be allowed in, including several Argentine legislators.
Argentine legislators denounce anti-democratic actions
Argentine Representative Myriam Bregman stated: “The authorities themselves acknowledge that there is no administrative impediment whatsoever: this is a political decision. This situation violates all existing legislation and infringes upon basic constitutional guarantees such as freedom of expression, movement, and assembly.” Furthermore, Bregman stated that the decision, apparently made by high-ranking officials in the far-right government of Javier Milei (a key ally of the United States and Israel), violates a series of international and national agreements
“It contradicts national and international regulations prohibiting discrimination on political grounds. We are facing a serious act of persecution and censorship, and an anti-democratic precedent: using immigration controls to persecute activists and hinder political organization. We demand his immediate entry, full respect for his rights, and an end to this outrage,” declared the Argentine congresswoman from the Left Front.
For her part, Congresswoman Celeste Fierro, who herself participated in the Flotilla to Gaza in September 2025 said: “According to the Argentine government, Thiago is not welcome in Argentina. They won’t let him enter the country simply because he defends the Palestinian cause … From here, we say, ‘Not in our name.’ There are many of us who raise the banner of the Palestinian cause, and we will continue to do so.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla stated in a press release: “This incident, unprecedented in Argentina, not only constitutes a serious case of censorship and violates the most basic political rights and guarantees, but also confirms the anti-national character of the liberal-libertarian government and its subjugation to the geopolitical interests of the United States and the State of Israel.”
Surveillance or harassment?
This isn’t the first time an “alert” has been issued when Ávila is traveling. On March 25, after successfully delivering 14 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba, the humanitarian activist was detained in Panama, where he had arrived for a connecting flight as part of his travel itinerary.
At that time, the activist’s communications team posted on Instagram: “As of now, he has been detained for over two hours. In his last message, Thiago reported that, in addition to being interrogated, he was subjected to biometric procedures by hostile police officers who spoke English. Shortly after, we lost contact.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla publicly denounced a campaign of intimidation targeting Ávila and other leaders of the organization on the eve of a second voyage intended to reach Gaza: “The Global Sumud Flotilla will not be deterred by this or any other act of censorship or intimidation, and reaffirms its commitment to set sail again on April 12 with more than 100 vessels departing from the Mediterranean and carrying humanitarian aid, medical personnel, educators, eco-builders, and activists, with the unwavering determination to break the infamous and illegal blockade of Gaza and to support a reconstruction effort led autonomously by the Palestinian civilian population itself.”
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