Are countries in Latin America becoming more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause?

SAO PAULO, Brazil: Latin American analysts have told Arab News that a pro-Palestinian bloc might be starting to form in the region, given the intensification of the Gaza conflict. For any region, this would be a first.

This process began in October. 31 when it said diplomatic relations would be cut off in response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

According to Sheikh Isa Amer Quevedo, a political scientist who was born in Palestine and is currently in charge of an Islamic center in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Muslims in Bolivia welcomed the government’s decision with great joy.

It is imperative to hold nations accountable for crimes against humanity. “.”. Amer praised Bolivia for supplying 73 tons of food to Gazans and expressed the hope that other nations would follow suit, saying, “Those indiscriminate strikes must stop.”.

Shortly after Bolivia’s announcement, the presidents of Chile and Colombia summoned their ambassadors to Israel for discussions.

on his X account on October 19. Chile’s president, Gabriel Boric, spoke on March 31 about Israel’s “unacceptable violations of humanitarian international law” in Gaza.

As evidenced by the over 8,000 civilian casualties—the vast majority of whom are women and children—Chile fiercely condemns and gravely worries about the fact that these military actions, which at this point (are) collective punishment of the civilian Palestinian population in Gaza, violate fundamental principles of international law. That’s right.

Chile has more Palestinians living there than any other country outside of the Middle East, up to 600,000. It’s a strong, professionally managed community.

Nevertheless, Prof. In an interview with Arab News, Pablo Alvarez Cabello, a Middle Eastern-Latin American relations expert at Diego Portales University in Santiago, stated that Chile will probably not cut ties because “its relations with Israel and the US are very important.”. “.”. ****.

After their meeting at the White House, Boric spoke with US President Joe Biden in an interview, expressing his concerns about the situation in Gaza and confirming that Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas launched an overly aggressive attack.

Parallel to this, a Colombian government statement on Oct. As for the Israeli security forces’ actions in densely populated areas of Gaza, Bogota “strongly rejects those actions,” according to 31. “.”. ****. ****.

as of October. 6. President Gustavo Petro has been critical of Israel’s Gaza offensive on multiple occasions on X. At one point, he went so far as to compare Israel with the Nazis.

Israel then ceased selling military hardware to Colombia, but Petro said he is ready to sever relations with Tel Aviv if needed.

“We welcomed President Petro’s actions with great happiness,” said Palestinian-born Colombian community leader Ali Nofal, speaking to Arab News. “.”. Over a long period of time, Colombia’s right wing fostered stronger ties and backed Israeli interests. Something has changed recently, really drastically. They expressed.

“People’s perceptions regarding the Palestinian issue have generally shifted,” he went on. As a result, more and more Latin American countries are these days displaying a more unbiased viewpoint. Indeed it is.

Indeed, on Nov. 1 Argentina and Mexico criticized Israel’s bombing of the Jabalya refugee camp and other locations in Gaza, something that is seen as an important step for countries that have been close to Israel.

“There’s a kind of trend among the progressive administrations in the region,” Argentinian-born Rafael Masry, president of the Palestinian Confederation of Latin America and the Caribbean — known by the Spanish acronym COPLAC — told Arab News. “At this moment, we can say the countries that should’ve expressed a pro-Palestinian attitude have done so.”

He said Argentina’s Nov. 1 statement criticizing Israel has “gigantic significance” given the South American country’s strong Zionist lobby and large Jewish community.

“Of course, the government’s actions can still evolve. There are economic pressures that can be applied,” Masry added.

On Nov. 3, Jewish leaders in Argentina met with President Alberto Fernandez and handed him a petition with more than 58,000 signatures, demanding that the government do all it can to release hostages of Argentinian origin held by Hamas (estimated at more than 20).

On the same day, Honduras announced that it would recall its ambassador to Israel for consultations.

Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina cited “the serious humanitarian situation affecting the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip.”

In an interview with Honduran newspaper La Prensa, Vice Foreign Minister Antonio Garcia said the decision is part of a set of potential diplomatic actions, and reflects the government’s “concerns over the indiscriminate killing of the Palestinian civilian population.”

The Foreign Ministry described the indiscriminate killing as “genocide” in a statement, but the term was later removed.

Masry said Brazil is the most important nation in the region, and if President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva could assume a more critical stance on Israel, more countries would be drawn to this emerging pro-Palestinian bloc.

“Lula has been giving interviews about Israel’s actions and has been critical of them. Maybe under the pressure of Chile, Colombia and so on, he will decide to join the bloc,” Masry added.

Brazilian-born Emir Mourad, COPLAC’s secretary-general, told Arab News that Lula has played a relevant role in trying to pass UN Security Council resolutions that include the need for an immediate ceasefire (the US vetoed one of them), but that Brazil can do more.

“There are many diplomatic instruments that can be used, beginning with recalling the ambassador for consultations and concluding the process by severing relations,” Mourad said, adding that Lula was the first Latin American leader to recognize Palestine’s statehood in 2010, and this led many other nations to do the same.

“Probably something similar would happen this time too,” Mourad said.

But some analysts are pessimistic about Lula’s handling of the situation. “It’s becoming more and more embarrassing for Lula that important Latin American nations are manifesting support for Palestine and he isn’t,” historian Tufy Kairuz, an expert in relations between Brazil and the Arab world, told Arab News, adding that Lula “now seems to be avoiding following other leaders.”

Kairuz said it is “disturbing” that Brazil continues to import Israeli military equipment and technology under Lula’s administration.

However, Alvarez said Lula seems to be assuming the role of a “non-aligned leader,” and may head a group of countries seeking a diplomatic shift on the Palestinian issue, which “could lead to more pressure at the UN and a more balanced distribution of power.”

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Abrar Ahmed

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