Pro-Palestine activists mark Nakba Day across Latin America

Known by Palestinians as the Nakba (Catastrophe) Day, the 1948 development witnessed the Israeli regime waging a heavily-Western-backed war against regional territories. The war killed more than 15,000 Palestinians, and rendered upwards of 750,000 of them homeless.

In Brazil, an event organized by Palestinian and Arab institutions featured Palestinians and their supporters’ converging on the Palestine Square in Sao Paulo, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) media research institution reported on Tuesday.

Argentina, meanwhile, hosted “several official and popular events” in commemoration of the occasion. “Many members of the Argentine parliament, led by Julia Perie, declared that they will continue the struggle for Palestinian rights,” MEMO reported.

Chile, which hosts the world’s largest overseas-based Palestinian community, witnessed taking place of many pro-Palestinian events. “Many historical monuments and towers had the Palestinian flag and pictures of Shereen Abu Akleh projected onto them,” the report said, referring to the veteran Palestinian journalist, who was murdered by an Israeli-fired headshot last week.

Elsewhere across Latin America, Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Bolivia, and Mexico hosted numerous similar marches and gatherings.

Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Relations Jorge Arreaza described the Nakba as a "despicable act that threatened life and human rights." Meanwhile, his Peruvian counterpart César Landa demanded an effective and independent investigation into Abu Akleh's killing.