By: Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir
Associate Professor of the Faculty of International, Political and Urban Studies
A few weeks ago, a group of politicians, journalists and opinion generators started the “All Eyes on Cauca” campaign on social networks, which ironizes the campaign originally inspired by monitoring what is happening. in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. To put it in proper context, regarding the genocide against the Palestinian population, a resistance movement was started to insist on the denunciation of war crimes with the slogan “All Eyes on Rafah.” Now, since in Colombia empathy depends on ideological affinity, the condemnation of the genocide in Gaza is more often relativized or postponed with the strange excuse that there are more urgent internal issues. In the midst of this fashion, the manipulation of Cauca has been as evident as it is nauseating.
Then, politicians and journalists who have rarely set foot in the department speak or denounce what happens there. They have joined the campaign to question any show of solidarity with Palestine, arguing that it implies ignoring the tragic situation in southwestern Colombia. It is strange that those who spread the false Gaza and Cauca dilemma have remained silent when one of the most representative congresswomen of the Democratic Center proposed a separation to isolate the indigenous people, an initiative that not only shows disdain for human rights, but also camouflaged and normalized structural racism. in our establishment. How is it possible that in the 21st century, from the Senate, someone can afford to propose apartheid? Not only did it pass without a hint of rectification, but the author of such an initiative is being considered presidential candidate.
Now that the Colombian government announces the reception for care at the Military Hospital of some Palestinian minors in the midst of an unprecedented tragedy, voices have arisen to protest, investigating why Arab children are privileged over Colombian ones. The comment is not only absurd because there is no such dilemma, but it confirms the evil that some journalists and politicians do to Colombia, they impose their chauvinism and outdated nationalism on us, in addition to showing their absolute lack of empathy against the humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East . There is no dilemma, you can work for children in Colombia while fulfilling your duty as humanity to lend a hand to the Palestinian Arabs. When the genocide occurred in Rwanda and Colombia had 8 million displaced people, was denouncing that genocide incompatible with warning about the need to care for that population? Would it be fair to say that those who call for an end to the war in Ukraine are indifferent to the social leaders murdered in Colombia? Who said that expressing international condemnation or showing solidarity with a massacred population is incompatible with the country’s problems? We continue to be deprived of cosmopolitanism by those who use laudable national causes to hide their (Arabphobic) racism, since for them it is normal that they murder Palestinian Arabs.
How many columns, analyses, debates or interviews have those who today question the demonstrations of solidarity with Palestine dedicated to Cauca? The invitation of the writer of this column is to understand that the causes of humanity do not have nationality nor are they exclusive. Those who pontificate about Cauca, tomorrow will call into question the duty to assist and accompany migrants with the same xenophobic argument of the European extreme right, that every penny allocated to those who leave their country seeking refuge in a third party is He is supposedly snatching away a compatriot.
It matters little if it is Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Darfur, Rafah or Bucha, all victims deserve our solidarity. The dose of empathy is not exhausted depending on geographical proximity and, even less so, on ideological harmony. Xenophobia rides in our faces without us even waking up.
