The Livre party questioned the Portuguese Government about the situation of Hugo Freitas de Sousa, a 39-year-old Portuguese citizen from the Azores, who is said to have been detained by United States immigration police almost a month ago. The party's parliamentary bench, led by Isabel Mendes Lopes, raised the issue based on a news report by RTP.
Livre wants to know what measures the Portuguese executive has taken or intends to take to monitor and defend the rights of this Portuguese citizen in North American territory. The party's intervention comes following the public disclosure of the case by the public television station.
This is not an isolated case, as in recent months there have been numerous reports of European citizens detained by US immigration authorities, many of them with Portuguese nationality. The situation places pressure on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure adequate consular assistance.
Portuguese authorities have not yet officially commented on the steps that may have been taken regarding this specific case, but the incident raises questions about the Portuguese diplomatic response capacity when nationals are detained abroad.
