“If they were to force you out of your homes, what would you do? Palestine bears the burden of Israel’s occupation, suffering under the weight of an arrogant occupying regime primed for war. In a recent surge of resistance along the West Bank, be it in the streets of Gaza or the alleys of Jerusalem, stones stand resilient against bullets. Intifada (Arabic for civil uprising)! Intifada! Intifada! Freedom.”
These verses belong to the song "Intifada," which saw thousands of Chileans participating in an unprecedented event on November 12. They sang in harmony with the Spanish music group SKA-P in Santiago, the capital of Chile.
Over the past weeks, in streets located thousands of kilometers from Gaza, resounding voices declare, “Palestine will triumph!” and passionately demand an end to the genocide against the Palestinian people. The rallying cry, “Latin America stands with Palestine!” echoes through the air. Meanwhile, captivating murals adorned with the empowering slogan “Always towards victory” draw attention, featuring the unwavering gaze of a determined young Palestinian.
For the people in Latin America, the Palestinian Cause transcends mere politics, resonating deeply as a humanitarian cause. The populace passionately rallies behind Gaza, employing the power of social media to share millions of posts exposing Zionist crimes. Hashtags such as #FreePalestine and #IsraelGenocide prominently circulate, with a poignant video portraying a Palestinian girl surviving a bombing amassing nearly 20 million views.
While the Israeli regime had sought to foster close ties with Latin American nations and governments by the United States’ backing in recent years, a seismic shift occurred on October 7, 2023. The revelation of the true nature of this regime triggered an exponential surge in animosity among the people in the region towards the Zionists, intensifying with each passing hour.
Chile’s condemnation of Israel’s atrocities
On October 19, the area surrounding the Israeli Embassy in Chile took center stage as pro-Palestinian demonstrators boldly voiced unprecedented slogans, including the pointed accusation of “Zionist terrorist.” This fervent display gained momentum on November 18, when hundreds of Chileans orchestrated a symbolic act by placing 1,000 shoes in front of the “La Moneda” Presidential Palace in Santiago. Each pair symbolized a child tragically killed in Gaza. A moment of profound silence was observed as a tribute to the victims, punctuated by the impassioned chant, "No to killing children!" Alongside this heartfelt gesture, protesters wielded signs fervently advocating for the protection of Palestinian children.
The Chilean President Gabriel Boric aligned himself with the sentiments of his people. In a post on X, he asserted, “Children are not ‘collateral damage’ in the war against Hamas; they are the main victims. Nothing justifies this brutality in Gaza. Nothing.” Chile’s government also took a decisive step by recalling its ambassador from Israel to Santiago.
Venezuela: Zionists will target us after Palestine
The Venezuelan populace has a longstanding tradition of expressing solidarity with Palestine and resonating their discontent through slogans such as “Israel is just like the Nazis.” This substantial support for Palestine traces its roots back to 2009, when the Venezuelan government, vehemently protesting the Gaza massacre, took the bold step of completely severing ties with the Zionist regime.
In a recent speech, President Nicolas Maduro brought a heightened awareness to his citizens, as well as Christians in America and Europe, shedding light on the threat that Zionism poses to Christianity — a topic that had previously been left largely unexplored.
Maduro asserted, “Zionists have adopted an ideology more perilous than that of the Nazis. Their initial actions targeted the people of Palestine through invasion, genocide, and bombings. Subsequently, they will direct their aggression towards the Arab population and all Muslims, with Christians and Catholics next in their line of sight.” The belief among Jews that they are the ‘chosen people,’ and non-Jews are mere animals in human guise obligated to serve them, underscores the gravity of the president's caution.
The Venezuelan President also urged people worldwide to continue the rallies, stating, "We must prevail in this battle for the right to life and the establishment of the Palestinian state."
Bolivia: We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of the Palestinians
On October 22, San Francisco Square and the streets of La Paz, Bolivia’s capital, became the backdrop for a massive demonstration, where protestors fervently called for an end to the Gaza genocide.
Bolivian President Luis Arce declared in a post on X: “We cannot remain indifferent to the plight of the Palestinian people, who have the right to live in peace. We denounce the war crimes in Gaza.”
In response to the ongoing Zionist atrocities, the Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced the severance of diplomatic ties with the Zionist regime, while condemning the massacre of thousands of civilians.
Colombia: “Netanyahu is a crazy man”
Chile is not the only Latin American country where demonstrators have chosen to target the Israeli embassy as a symbolic act of protest. On November 4, 2023, protestors in Colombia defaced the walls of the Israeli embassy in Bogotá, painting them with images of Nazi symbols.
President Gustavo Petro, in a tweet, expressed that the people of Palestine are enduring one of the most egregious injustices in the contemporary world. Referring to Netanyahu as “a crazy man,” he also declared that Colombia will support the complaint lodged by the Republic of Algeria, submitted to the International Criminal Court, accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of war crimes and the mass killing of Palestinian children.
Nicaragua and Cuba: America bears primary responsibility in Gaza conflict
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega and Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel have issued strong responses to the unfolding events in Gaza. Aligned with the sentiments articulated by Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, who emphasized that "the US is definitely an accomplice of the criminals. In other words, in this crime, the US’s hand is drenched and stained up to its elbow with the blood of the oppressed, the children, the sick, women, and others," they have implicated the White House as a complicit partner in the crimes committed by the Zionists.
In a public address, Ortega held America accountable as the principal perpetrator of the genocide in Gaza, asserting, "Israel’s brutal and inhumane war is not merely an aspect of the United States government; it is part of a larger strategy. Just as America annihilated the natives of North America, other powers are now engaged in similar actions in Asia."
The President of Cuba, in a televised speech, characterized Washington as a "collaborator in the heinous acts of the Zionists" for vetoing the ceasefire resolution in Gaza.
Díaz-Canel, by sharing images of Palestinian children martyred in Israel’s bombings on his X account, conveyed, “History will not forgive the indifferent. It is time to bring an end to the idea of plunder so that the philosophy of war perishes due to a lack of motivation. The people of Palestine are enduring horror today.”
Argentinians and Mexicans: Sever Ties with the Zionist Regime
Argentinians and Mexicans have directed their protests toward the embassies of the Zionist regime as well. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a substantial gathering on October 9 called for the “expulsion of the racist government” of Israel from their country, expressing their dissatisfaction. Likewise, in a significant march on November 18 in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, participants criticized President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's measured stance on the events in Palestine and urged their government to sever diplomatic, political, and economic ties with Netanyahu’s cabinet.
Honduras: Wake up call for humanity
President Xiomara Castro of Honduras shared on her official X account: “Silence is complicity in a crime that threatens humanity. Oh, humanity, wake up! We have no more time!” Finally, on November 3, in response to the dire humanitarian situation of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, the Castro government "urgently summoned Mr. Roberto Martinez, Honduras’ Ambassador to Israel, for consultations to Tegucigalpa, the capital."
Sending humanitarian aid to Gazan people
The dispatch of 30 and 73-ton shipments of food and medicine by the governments of Venezuela and Bolivia, accompanied by an airlift from the Colombian government providing essential supplies to Egypt, serves as a testament to the humanitarian aid extended by Latin American governments to the people of Gaza. Despite these efforts, the aid has not reached the people of Gaza due to the blockade of the Rafah crossing.
It can be asserted that no other region has seen governments and nations express support for Palestine as openly as in Latin America. This assertion finds backing in the statements of Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on April 4, 2009. He addressed the President of Venezuela regarding the crimes against the people of Gaza that year and the subsequent severance of Caracas’ relations with Tel Aviv, stating, “What the Venezuelan government did was, in fact, the duty of European governments who claim to advocate for human rights and support for humanity. Unfortunately, the claimant European governments acted in the opposite direction during the massacre of the people of Gaza."
14 years later, Imam Khamenei also praised the position of the Cuban president on the issue of Palestine in a meeting that they had on Dec. 4, 2023.
The call to sever ties with the Zionist regime, identified by Imam Khamenei as a key means to halt the tragedies in Gaza, complemented by the dispatch of humanitarian aid and the resounding support for Palestine from a populace shaped by figures like Simón Bolívar, José Martí, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevara is not surprising. These figures, embraced by the people, embody anti-oppression and resistance values, which are deeply ingrained in their collective identity.
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