Wiesenthal Center Accuses Equador's "El Comercio" Newspaper of Anti-Semitism

May 9, 2022

This week will mark the first ever visit to Israel of a President of Ecuador. Guillermo Lasso's principal aim is cooperation in security; to deal with clashes between criminal drug gangs.

The newspaper El Comercio - in a crude attempt to lambaste the visit - published a caricature entitled "The Wailing Wall,” with the inscription SECURITY, as seen in the cartoon below.

“In addition to poverty, the caricature brings together, well known anti-Semitic stereotypes, the attacks on Israel through long noses and hats stereotyping Jew exude sinister characters,” said Dr. Ariel Gelblung, Director of the Wiesenthal Center for Latin America.
 
Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations, added, "Beside diplomatic meetings, the President will join Ecuador's immigrants in Israel, many in hi-tech and larger than the some 800 Jews in Ecuador... El Comercio cannot upset the visit by an antisemitic cartoon, but it behooves an expression of apology, clearly explaining to its public that the cartoon could endanger the small Jewish community, mainly in Quito....Failing these measures, El Commercio may be deemed  an agent of antisemitic hate.”

For further information, please contact Dr. Shimon Samuels at +336 09770158 or Dr. Ariel Gelblung at +54 9 11 49695365, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).