Latin American Anthropologists Pass Resolution in Solidarity with Palestinians

By Staff, Agencies

An association of anthropologists in Latin America have endorsed a resolution that affirms support for the Palestinian people, just weeks after the US's largest association of anthropologists endorsed the Palestinian-led Boycott, Sanctions, and Divestment [BDS] movement.

At the XIV Mercosur Anthropology Conference held in Rio de Janeiro earlier this month, a group of anthropologists brought forth a resolution that sought to recognize the “crimes against the Indigenous population of Palestine during the Nakba”.

“This is a public and academic commitment to the fight against racism,” the motion stated, noting that “Building walls, checkpoints and everyday modes of occupation and subjugation of native populations configures a perverse renewal of the heinous practices of apartheid in the 21^st century.”

Francirosy Campos Barbosa, one of the resolution's proponents, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the measure's passage was a “great day for fighting the Palestinian cause”.

The resolution builds on a symbolic shift in the anthropology field in the Western Hemisphere when it comes to offering solidarity with Palestinians.

In late July, after a month-long period of online voting, the American Anthropological Association [AAA] voted to adopt a resolution endorsing a boycott of "Israeli" academic institutions over their role in the discrimination against Palestinians. The vote was significant for the BDS movement.

The resolution passed with an overwhelming majority of 71 percent.

The BDS movement is a non-violent initiative that seeks to challenge "Israel's" occupation and abuses of Palestinian human rights through economic, cultural, and academic boycotts, similar to the successful boycott campaigns against apartheid South Africa.

Universities have increasingly become hotbeds for free speech issues in the United States relating to Palestinian rights.

In January this year, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, was denied a fellowship position at Harvard University. Roth said at the time that the reason for his denial likely had to do with his criticism of the "Israeli" entity.