Venezuela is seeing troublesome manifestations of neo-Nazi sentiment and activity as never before, according to the Latin American Jewish Congress.
A report published in the group’s bulletin says that swift action by the Confederation of Jewish Associations of Venezuela succeeded in preventing a public meeting from taking place in the center of Caracas last month of a group using the swastika in pamphlets and propaganda.
The confederation petitioned the Venezuelan authorities to declare the gathering illegal and asked the political parties to do likewise. The Jewish group also asked the security establishment to investigate the neo-Nazis.
As a result of the pressure, almost nobody showed up for the gathering, except the police, who were there in full force.
But despite this success, the use and trivialization of Nazi symbols in Venezuela has become widespread.
Nuevo Mundo Israelita, the Venezuelan Jewish community newspaper, said that not only has it become fashionable to use Nazi symbols in clothing accessories, but many middle- and upper-class youngsters go dancing dressed in Nazi uniforms and concentration camp pajamas.
Some revisionist magazines and books have appeared, as well as Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.”
An almost non-existent ultra-right wing party advertised itself with a symbol much like a swastika while announcing its support for the French extremist politician Jean-Marie Le Pen.
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