August 25, 2026.
In response to what they described as “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing” perpetrated by Israel in Gaza, more than 300 Mexican labor unions and social organizations will join a new regional coalition to promote the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against companies identified as accomplices in the killing of thousands of Palestinians and the occupation of their territory.
The Coordination of Mexican Unions in Solidarity with Palestine—composed of organizations from the New Workers’ Confederation, the Mexican Electricians’ Union (SME), and the National Coordination of Education Workers—announced on Monday the formal launch of the Latin American Network for Palestine for the BDS movement, with the goal of bringing together union and workers’ organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Jamal Juma, coordinator of the Popular Palestinian Campaign Against the Apartheid Wall, argued that Israel’s current offensive represents an attempt to complete the displacement of the Palestinian population that began with the 1948 Nakba, when approximately 80 percent of the inhabitants fled their homes and hundreds of villages were destroyed.
“What we are suffering today in Palestine is much worse than the Nakba,” he said, noting that the current goal is to carry out “total ethnic cleansing” of Palestinian territory.
Juma noted that what has happened in Gaza constitutes “genocide” that is not limited to the mass killing of civilians, including children and women. He also explained that it includes the destruction of universities, livelihoods, farmland, and homes, as well as the contamination of the soil and drinking water sources.
During the Latin American Network’s presentation at the SME, Enrique Gómez, a representative of the coordinating committee, stated that the goal is to strengthen solidarity among the Latin American working class and support the BDS movement’s campaigns.
To this end, he explained that three main lines of action are proposed: a boycott and economic divestment from companies, institutions, and products linked to the occupation, apartheid, and human rights violations against the Palestinian people. It also calls on governments to impose sanctions and take concrete measures to ensure respect for international law.
The initiative also proposes reviewing and transforming trade union, commercial, financial, and institutional relationships that, from its perspective, contribute to perpetuating the occupation.
Another of its proposals is to promote “apartheid-free spaces” in unions, workplaces, universities, and other institutions that commit to solidarity with Palestine.