People like us, just people with rights.  

166.000 people killed and 70.000 women forcedly sterilized in Guatemala. 

75.000 people killed many by death squads, and 8.000 disappeared in Honduras. 

75.000 people killed and 8.000 disappeared in El Salvador. 

30.000 tortured and killed, and 500 kids kidnapped from people forcibly disappeared in Argentina. 

6,402 extrajudicial killings between 2002 and 2008 In Colombia. 

3.000 people killed, 9.800 torture and 40.000 victims in Chile. 

Indigenous peoples, peasants, workers, artists, thinkers, women, men, young or old, just people. 

Killed because of who they were, what they thought or just because they were stuck in the process of a genocidal political machinery. Killings enabled by weapons, training and economic support provided by geopolitical powers. These, my people, dead, for no reason other than hate directed towards minorities, ideas or motivated by economic interest. Latin America knows war crimes, genocide, torture and utter violence. 

With no social media from past violence, it is hard to imagine how were the stadiums filled with people executed, the death flights taking off, kidnaps, rape, death squads roaming the streets or the stench of mass graves in Latin American past. Yet we remember and now see this same type of atrocity every day on TikTok, Instagram or the television. It cannot be hidden from sight, and it is not hard to identify the same culprits fueling the fire in other lands. 

Silence is consent. How could we stay silent, not share freely our thoughts or express our condemnation, when we see others living such nightmares. People like us, just people with rights.  

My country recognized Palestine as a State in 2008, as have done 143 other countries. This is the status quo. People in Gaza have human rights and have a State. The ICJ has ordered to immediately end military operations Rafah, as human lives are increasingly extinguished by bombs, tanks and snipers.  Yet, International Law falls to the ground and breaks by the force of geopolitics, while the killings continue. 

While this evil unfolds, as an NGO Director heading to a Climate Conference, what echoes in the preparatory meetings, is that I must beware of mentioning Palestine, give my opinion on the conflict or even wear certain objects. Such banal censure that limits my rights, is followed by legal advice to beware of the police detention, prohibition to enter the country, and the threat of losing funding. What does this silencing and policing buy? Probably consent to what is done in Gaza. Those that kill and hate are not silent on their intent. 

As a Latin American person, fear to speak our minds due to repression is part of our history and it is always linked with systemic violence and injustice. The victims of our bloodied past would not accept our silence and inaction will judge us for all our lives. It can always be us again. Peace is never built with guns nor hypocrisy. 

For Palestine, All We need is Justice.