A Colombian-born activist detained by Israel during the raid on a flotilla of aid ships heading for Gaza will be deported Friday to Sweden, where she is a citizen.
According to the Israeli embassy in Colombia, the activist, named Edda Virginia Manga Otalora, rejected an offer by the Israeli government to be deported immediately to her country of origin. As a result, Manga is waiting in an Israeli prison for her deportation papers to be finalized.
Manga’s family, including a mother who lives in Bogota, told Colombian media that they have heard that she is alive and in jail through friends in Sweden, and that the Swedish government is working with the Israeli government to secure her release. The Swedish Embassy in Colombia confirmed the information on Tuesday.
The activist’s mother also said that Manga, who works as a college professor in Sweden, had been planning a visit to Bogota in August to research racism in Colombia.