Condemns the illegal interception and seizure of the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla

May 19th 2026

This Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Global Sumud Flotilla confirmed the interception of the vessel "Sirius" on which our colleague Lautaro Rivara, co-coordinator of the CLACSO Working Group, was sailing. Imperialism, neocolonialism and interventionist policies.

After suffering several attacks in recent days, including the kidnapping of most of the boats and participants, including the coordinators of the Sumud Flotilla, Thiago Ávila and Saif Abukeshek, they also intercepted and kidnapped the 10 boats that had managed to overcome the military aggressions, and approach within a few nautical miles of Gaza, in what the Zionist occupation forces call a "military exclusion zone", a figure of intervention that is absolutely illegal and, in itself, an act of colonial brutality.

In total, more than 400 unarmed civilian activists, peace activists from 45 countries have been kidnapped by Israel. Their condition, whereabouts, and legal status are unknown.

As our comrade Lautaro has said, “There is no ‘war in Gaza’; there is colonial aggression, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Nor do we recognize any kind of territorial sovereignty of the colonial entity in the waters of the enclave. We are not going to ‘Israel,’ we are going to occupied and devastated Palestine.”

We call upon each and every one of the Member Centers, Working Groups and participants of the CLACSO network to join the massive dissemination campaign on social networks and international pressure for the Liberation of all the members of the Global Sumud Flotilla who, heroically and bravely, sought to break the criminal siege of the Palestinian people to deliver humanitarian aid, call on States to act against the colonial occupation, and demand an end to the genocide and peace with full sovereignty and respect for human dignity.

CLACSO Working Group on Imperialism, Neocolonialism and Intervention Policies

This text expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Group and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.