Vicky and Jorge
Vicky and Jorge are second and third generation Palestinians, respectively, living in Lima, Peru. Jorge has lived all his life in Peru, whereas Vicky was born in Chile and moved to Peru later in her life. These differences make their experiences as Palestinians living in the diaspora distinct. However, as you will see in the following videos, their experiences are unified in their immense care for the Palestinian people, inside and outside of historic Palestine. They are both deeply connected to the Palestinian cause and have quite interesting conversations on what they believe the future holds and how to get there.
A Free Palestine: Vicky’s Mother’s Dream of Return
In the following relatively short, yet poignant clip, Vicky and Jorge discuss their dreams of a Free Palestine. Vicky then discusses her experience spreading her mother’s ashes in Palestine, getting at the heart of the Palestinian connection to land.
*note: in this video Jorge estimates the Palestinian population in Peru to be ~5000. According to popular media and polling, the number is actually probably between 15 and 25 thousand.
Vicky’s Trip to Palestine & Life in The Diaspora
In this video, Vicky and Jorge discuss Vicky’s trip to Palestine and all that she bore witness to. They compare the Arab communities in Chile and Peru and how they function as a part of the respective Latin American countries while maintaining ties to the Middle East, leading to a discussion of their varied degrees of separation from relatives born in Palestine and what that meant in terms of talking about Palestine growing up.
Watching from Afar
In this video, Jorge and Vicky express their ongoing connection to Palestine, despite their diaspora. They discuss and criticize U.S. politics as interlinked with Israeli politics and disconnected from the rest of the world. Finally, they discuss talking about Palestine with non-Arab friends, with Jorge emphasizing explaining Gaza as an open-air prison to those new to the topic.
Is the World Changing?
In this final video, Vicky and Jorge debate whether or not the world is truly changing in terms of the Palestinian cause. They especially discuss what Israel’s genocide in Gaza at the time of this interview (June 2024) means for global opinion and policy. They also discuss the cycle of violence as coming out of the Zionist colonization of Palestine. They then discuss, in a longer form than in the shorter video at the top of their page, what a Free Palestine looks like to them.