#SolidarityWaveBDS

As a new generation of Palestinians is marching on the footsteps of previous generations, rising up against Israel’s brutal, decades-old regime of occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid, four Colombian film festivals join the cultural boycott against Israel’s regime. Local BDS group in Colombia (BDS en Colombia) says this is just the beginning: “We expect more artists and cultural workers in Colombia to activate their conscience and take this important standard against the Israeli apartheid”.

The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a key part of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) welcomes the decision. Haidar Eid, professor of the Al-Aqsa University in Gaza and member of PACBI says: “After its last massacre in Gaza in 2014, Israel has been escalating its policies of colonization, apartheid and occupation. Support for BDS from Latin America is very important at this time in order to add more pressure on Israel’s regime leading to its isolation until it complies with international law”.

Mahmoud Nawaja, general coordinator of BNC says: “This announcement comes in the middle of an ongoing international wave of solidarity. Tens of thousands of people across 100 cities in the world took to the streets last weekend to show support to the Palestinian struggle. Colombian artists are taking a principled stance in solidarity with the struggle for Palestinian rights through isolating Israel’s regime of militarization, securitization and racism, which is widely exported to Colombia and Latin America”.

“Globale Bogotá”, “Derecho a Ver”, “Muestra Arrecheras Heterodisidentes” and “Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes y Escuelas de Cine El Espejo” announced last week their decision to join the boycott in support of the Palestinian struggle and against “normalization”. “Globale Bogotá”, which initiated its 2015 edition last friday, was created in Germany and is held in Bogotá since 2011, aiming to bring critical analysis through documentary productions.

“Derecho a Ver” is a itinerant Human Rights documentary festival. “Muestra Arrecheras Heterodisidentes” 2015 edition will perform a tribute to Hija de Perra (Chile) and Guissepe Campuzano (Perú), two queer activists and artists. “Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes y Escuelas de Cine El Espejo” has shown more than 1100 short movies with some 30 thousand people for the last 9 years in Colombia.