Cartoonist Antonio Rodríguez: The Gaza war hurts and angers me

"I would like to send all my solidarity to the Palestinian people, who have been victims of an excessive and voracious dispossession of their lands, freedoms, and lives before the eyes of the world."

Cartoonist Antonio Rodríguez: The Gaza war hurts and angers me

Nesrein El-Bakhshawangy

last update on 21 Nov 2023

The works of political cartoonist Antonio Rodríguez, born in Mexico City in 1965, have been featured in some of the world’s largest publications, from France 24 and Le Monde to the Swiss newspaper Le Temps.

As an accomplished illustrator, Rodríguez is a member of Cartooning for Peace and Cartoon Movement, and he currently serves as the editorial cartoonist for the esteemed Magazine Proceso.

In recent years, he has collaborated on international campaigns for human rights, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press, and has been invited to collaborate with agencies and groups such as Amnesty International, Free Turkey Media and CRNI.

Al Majalla talks to Rodríguez about his distinctive blend of art and social awareness – as well as his thoughts on the ongoing Gaza war, which has been at the centre of his recent illustrations.

Since you have always taken it upon yourself to raise awareness of what is going on beyond the Mexican border, how do you choose from among the political events what to illustrate?

Generally, and instinctively due to the extreme urgency of some issues, I decide on cases in which my cartoons can be useful as support, solidarity, and information material, especially for those who I consider to be in a situation of vulnerability and injustice, in my country or beyond the borders.

As a Latin American, I have a wound that does not heal, due to the eternal injustices and interventions of colonialist countries to our people, particularly from our neighbour to the north.

As a Latin American, I have a wound that does not heal, due to the eternal injustices and interventions of colonialist countries to our people, particularly from our neighbour to the north.

Antonio Rodríguez, political cartoonist

The Gaza war is an active topic of your cartoons. Could you share your thoughts on it?

It hurts and angers me a lot. Above all, I would like to send all my solidarity to the Palestinian people, who have been victims of an excessive and voracious dispossession of their lands, freedoms, and lives before the eyes of the world, and with total impunity, for as long as I can remember.

And now the enormous brutality of these Israeli attacks in Gaza, with the false flag of fighting Hamas groups, for me is nothing more than the strategy of extermination and total eviction of the Palestinian people in Gaza – a plan conceived long ago.

As one of the recipients of the Toons Mag award that supports freedom of expression through cartoons, to what extent do you believe art can assist readers in better understanding difficult topics?

A quick and precise look at a cartoon, which sometimes does not need words for the viewer to be able to identify with it, is a very powerful weapon of communication in the space of ideas and emotions. It makes the reader reaffirm their thoughts and often serves to strengthen personal and public opinion.

In a world where media immediacy reigns, cartoons have the ability to describe a difficult topic quickly, especially if they are well-developed.

What do you think about Western double standards regarding the ethnic cleansing in Gaza and what the UN described as a potential genocide?

It is a tragedy for me, as I observe daily how the truth, which is the dramatic and unfair situation that the Palestinian people in Gaza are suffering from, is distorted by the misleading narratives espoused by some Western media outlets. It plays a role within the conflict of geopolitical and commercial interests rather than honest and objective journalism.

Recently, our colleague Steve Bell, after 40 years of working as a cartoonist for the Guardian newspaper, was fired for exercising his right to freedom of expression, because he drew a cartoon criticising (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu on the Palestinian issue.

This was a blow to freedom of expression in the press and a shot in the foot to the credibility of this journalistic medium.

We have seen major demonstrations around the world over the past month. Can we bet on people, and their awareness of the Palestinian issue, to put pressure on governments to stop the war?

I want to think so, and my wish is for this global wave of demand and cries for freedom for Palestine to grow, to pressure Western governments to stop this massacre in Gaza, at least to keep their own interests safe, because this genocide has exposed them for their complicity with the criminal government of Israel.

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