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The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) organized a special four-day solidarity mission to Israel this week by a group of six Latin American mayors and governors from Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Uruguay, and Chile.
The leaders — Mayor of Colina, Chile Isabel Valenzuela, Mayor of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Juan Fernando Lopez, Vice Mayor of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Mario Leonel Cifunetes, Governor of Maldonado, Uruguay Enrique Antia, Governor of Ciudad de Panama, Panama Carla Garcia, and Mayor of La Paz, Honduras Jose Anibal Flores Ayala — were joined on their visit by CAM Advisory Board for Latin America Chair Pilar Rahola and CAM Director of Hispanic Affairs Shay Salamon.
In southern Israel, the delegation traveled to the site of the Nova music festival massacre, as well as several of the communities attacked on October 7th, including Kibbutz Nir Oz and Sderot, as well as Ofakim, where they met with Mayor Yitzhak Danino.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) is proud to be hosting six Latin American mayors and governors from Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Uruguay and Chile on a special visit to Israel.
Today, the delegation headed south to explore areas affected by the massacre carried out by… pic.twitter.com/1JxWIIJWMe
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) March 11, 2024
During their trip, the Latin American officials met with family members of Israelis who perished the the October 7th Hamas massacre and visited at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum center in Tel Aviv. They also met with Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Asaf Zamir.
In Jerusalem, the delegation held meetings at the Israeli Foreign Ministry and United Hatzalah headquarters, and toured the holy sites in the Old City.
CAM CEO Sacha Roytman stated, “At a time of rising antisemitism globally, to have so many prominent local and regional leaders from Latin America serves as an antidote to hate. We believe in the importance of harnessing local leadership to fight hatred of Israel. Mayors and governors have a unique ability to proactively confront antisemitism at the local level, knowing their communities most closely.”
“In addition, they have the authority to initiate various initiatives in the field of education, to initiate changes in policy, and to make a tangible change on the street level,” Roytman added. “The impact of a visit to Israel produces a deeper understanding of what the Jewish state is facing.”
Salamon commented, “The political transformations we see across Europe have not bypassed Latin America. Even in countries that have traditionally stood by Israel, we note with great concern a change in rhetoric on the part of their elected leaders. The visit of governors and mayors from countries like Chile and Honduras in such challenging days shows the desire for continued cooperation at the municipal level and the burning need to fight the rising antisemitism in Latin America.”
CAM’s outreach in Latin America began nearly three years ago, and since then it has worked diligently to build meaningful partnerships and friendships with influential leaders, lawmakers, community organizations, and civil society activists from a diverse assortment of religious, political and cultural backgrounds in the region to combat antisemitism together.
During this time, CAM en Español has emerged as a key player in the battle against Jew-hatred in Latin America, with a growing coalition engaged in impactful activities in countries including Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, and Guatemala, among others.
CAM en Español has organized regional summits hosted by Uruguay in 2023, Panama in 2022, and Guatemala in 2021.
Immediately after October 7th, CAM en Español jumped into action to mobilize support for Israel and respond to incidents of antisemitism across Latin America, meeting with regional leaders, holding educational webinars, promoting social media campaigns, and raising funds for Israeli emergency relief organizations.
