Thiago Ávila, the Brazilian activist who took part in the humanitarian convoy that arrived in Cuba last March with slogans supporting the regime, is currently facing terrorism charges in Israel after being detained when the Israeli Navy intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters of the Mediterranean.
A Israeli court in Ashkelon extended Ávila's detention for another six days on Tuesday, accepting the request of the Israeli Police to continue the investigation into alleged links with Hamas.
The interception occurred on April 29, about 100 kilometers west of the Greek island of Crete, when the flotilla was attempting to reach Gaza despite Israeli warnings.
Of the approximately 175 activists detained during the operation, about 170 were disembarked on Greek shores.
Israel transferred Ávila and Spanish-Palestinian Saif Abukeshek to Israeli territory for investigation specifically regarding possible connections to Hamas. Ávila has been on a hunger strike since the day of his arrest.
Her lawyer, Hadeel Abu Salih, from the Adalah legal group, dismissed the charges, describing them as "suspicions without substantiated proof" and stated that they represent an attempt to link "this humanitarian mission of providing assistance to the civilian population in Gaza with terrorist activities."
The case has a direct precedent in Cuba: weeks before his arrest in Israel, Ávila had participated in the so-called "Convoy Nuestra América," baptized by its promoters as "Granma 2.0", which departed from Chelem, Yucatán, on March 21 and arrived at the port of Havana on March 24 with about 30 tons of food, medicine, solar panels, and technological equipment.
The convoy brought together around 500 participants from at least 30 countries and was welcomed by the Cuban regime with honors, including the presence of Fernando González, president of ICAP and a former Cuban spy convicted in the United States.
During the arrival at the port of Havana, chants such as "Cuba yes, blockade no!" and "For whatever it takes, Fidel" were heard. Ávila then stated, "This is an act of historical retribution because Cuba is the most supportive people on the planet."
The activist also stated that "since 1959, Cuba has remained an example of sovereignty and dignity", at an official event before regime authorities.
Days later, on March 31, Argentina denied him entry at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires, where he was traveling to participate in the launch of the local chapter of the flotilla to Gaza, citing "false tourism" as the official reason.
The wife of Ávila, Lara Souza, stated to the EFE agency: “The police told Thiago that he is not welcome in Argentina and that they would not allow him to enter.”
Israel had already intercepted more than 40 vessels from a previous flotilla in September 2025, detaining 473 crew members.
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