Carlos Latuff

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Carlos Latuff (photo) is a freelance political cartoonist, born in November 30, 1968, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Latuff's works have been posted on various Indymedia websites and blogs; and several of his cartoons were also published on other websites such as Norman Finkelstein's official website.^[1] He has also participated and was placed second, winning $4,000, in the 2006 Iranian International Holocaust Cartoon Competition.

1 Themes
2 Controversies
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Themes

'Global Intifada' by Carlos Latuff shows a 'global persona' dressed in a Keffiyeh while holding the V sign (for victory) in front the Palestinian flag.

'Uncle Sam wants you DEAD!' by Carlos Latuff shows Uncle Sam (representing the U.S.A.) with Adolf Hitler's features and a Nazi swastika atop his top-hat.

Latuff has authored several comics about Middle East situations such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iraq War, mainly highly critical towards Israel and the United States while sympathizing with their opposition.^{[original research?]}

In his We are all Palestinians cartoon series, various famous oppressed groups, including Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, Black South Africans during Apartheid, Native Americans, and Tibetans in China, are all shown stating "I am Palestinian".^[2] (See also: Controversies)

Latuff has also made a series of cartoons that portray Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,^[3]^[4]^[5] United States President George W. Bush, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and British PM Tony Blair among other politicians as monsters and as Nazis.^[6]

In his comic series by the name of Tales of Iraq War (also translated into Arabic), he features 'Juba, the Baghdad sniper' as a hero^{[citation needed]} while US soldiers are portrayed as villains^{[citation needed]}^[7] sent by US President George W. Bush, caricatured laughing over US casualties.^[8]^{[original research?]}

[edit] Controversies

'Just following orders' by Carlos Latuff shows an Israeli and Nazi soldiers. Text in the shape of a Nazi swastika says: "Israeli soldiers are just following orders".

Latuff himself has described his work as controversial.

In 2002 the Swiss-based Jewish organization Aktion Kinder des Holocaust sued the Independent Media Center (IMC, also known as Indymedia) of Switzerland on the charge of anti-Semitism. The reason was a cartoon of Latuff's We are all Palestinians series, published in Swiss IMC website, which depicted a Jewish boy in Warsaw Ghetto saying: "I am Palestinian."^[9]^[10]^[11] The criminal proceedings were suspended by Swiss court.^[12]

In 2006, Latuff entered and was placed second, winning $4,000, in the controversial Iranian 'International Holocaust Cartoon Competition'. Latuff's image compared the Israeli West Bank barrier with the Nazi concentration camps.^[13]

The competition itself was controversial - it was criticised by the then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Israeli foreign ministry, Reporters Without Borders, the Anti-Defamation League and many others.^[14]^[15]^[16] Latuff's entry was described as "Holocaust inversion" by Manfred Gerstenfeld.^[17]

A cartoon by Latuff depicting Alan Dershowitz masturbating over the killing of Lebanese citizens, which illustrated an article by prominent anti-Zionist Norman Finkelstein, also provoked controversy.^[18]