Palestinian officials have recognised that Latin American countries were the first to condemn the Israeli onslaught against Gaza.

The Palestinian National Council (PNC), the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, thanked Latin America on August 27 for its solidarity with the people of Gaza and its condemnation of the seven-week Israeli massacre in the enclave.

During a PNC meeting, the Palestinian leaders said the solidarity of Latin America with Palestinians “is an inheritance of patriots like Jose Marti and Simon Bolivar”.

The legislators also contrasted the strong condemnation by Latin American and Caribbean governments of the Israeli attacks with the support of US, Europe and their allies to the government of Tel Aviv.

They recognised that Latin Americans launched protests against Israel while other nations opened up their military warehouses to replenish the Tel Aviv regime with the weapons it used in the bloody attacks against Gaza.

Palestinian leader Raed Salah said that Latin American and Caribbean governments “adopted brave decisions against Israel, supporting Palestine”. This referred to statements of condemnation against Israel by the diplomatic missions of Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia.

In recognition of their positions in support of Gazans, the Palestinian leaders gave plaques to the representatives of these countries.

Salah added that personalities, such as the Nobel Peace Prize winners Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina and Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala, called for punishing Israel for its atrocities against Gazans.

Many leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean have adopted positions against Tel Aviv's policies, such as former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who broke diplomatic relations with Israel after its 2008-2009 aggression against Gaza.

In past weeks, various Latin American leaders harshly condemned the Israeli government for committing genocide in Gaza, including Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, and Evo Morales of Bolivia.

Cuba cut links with Israel in 1973 and was among the first Latin American states to elevate its Palestinian representation to the rank of embassy.

Venezuela sent hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Ecuador is also preparing to send about 20 tons of aid.

Israeli warplanes and tanks started pounding the blockaded enclave on July 8, inflicting heavy losses on Palestinian land and killing almost 2140 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including women and children. About 11,000 others were injured, while hundreds of thousands were displaced.

[Reprinted from teleSUR English.]

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