Astudillo: "Violencia en los genes de la madre"



Es insultante, por lo tanto inaceptable y vergonzoso tanto en este país como en cualquier parte del mundo, que un individuo se aproveche de su posición en la comunidad para atacar de manera ofensiva y gratuita a cualquier sector de la sociedad canadiense.

Sin formación científica alguna el padre Hernán Astudillo, en una reciente entrevista en la CBC, rindió declaraciones que ampliamente demuestran colosal ignorancia sobre los más elementales principos de la genética.

Según Astudillo los salvadoreños "tienen la violencia en los genes debido a que la leche materna con la que fueron alimentados estaba contaminada de violencia." La aseveración de Astudillo revela una escandalosa falta de la más elemental educación, de sentido común, de inteligencia y de formación humana o religiosa.

Cuando semejante ataque se dirige de modo malicioso, irracional, sin fundamento y sin provocación alguna al pueblo salvadoreño en general y a la colonia salvadoreña en Toronto en particular, el agresor viola el espíritu y las leyes antiracistas de Canadá. De hecho el inmoral, asqueroso pronunciamiento de Astudillo, rechazado públicamente esta semana por el Consulado General de El Salvador en Toronto, no solo refleja perversos motivos, absoluta carencia de compasión cristiana y de simple lógica sino que al intentar deliberadamente de humillar a la ciudadanía salvadoreña, Astudillo se ubica firmemente dentro de los parámetros del racismo, de la calumnia y de la difamación.

El discurso de este individuo se vuelve aún más insostenible e hipócrita al tenerse en cuenta que el pronunciamiento de Astudillo contradice sus propias prácticas. En otras palabras, el cura en cuanto dobla, repica. Una y otra vez Astudillo por una parte invoca a su antojo y conveniencia el nombre del martirizado obispo de El Salvador Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez mientras que por otra denigra vilmente a la población salvadoreña que tanto amó Romero.

Es sumamente irónico y cobarde que un hombre del púlpito recurra a semejante manifestación de ignorancia y de violencia contra la mujer salvadoreña precisamente en ocasión de celebrarse el Día Internacional de la Mujer. ¿Será posible que su propia leche materna no le amamantara suficientemente los genes del respeto para el ser más noble de la creación? ¡Solo Astudillo lo sabrá! Pero sí es imperdonable que Astudillo manifieste su descomunal carencia de tacto, de compasión al prójimo y de humildad religiosa precisamente en los sagrados días de recogimiento cristiano de la Semana Santa. El insulto de Astudillo confirma una vez más que este individuo es incapaz de desempeñar funciones religiosas o comunitarias.


Por: Pastor Valle-Garay
Senior Scholar, Universidad de York

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The Hispanic Ontario Lawyers Association (HOLA)


Dear Mr. Fournier and Mr. Carlin:

The Hispanic Ontario Lawyers Association (HOLA) is an organization of lawyers and law students whose mandate it is to intervene on behalf of Hispanics on issues which affect our community. Please take this as a complaint regarding the CBC Radio’s Metro Morning News broadcast of March 5, 2007, which featured an interview of Mr. Hernan Astudillo on gang violence.

HOLA finds that there were several misleading and offensive aspects to Mr. Astudillo's interview. The first is that Mr. Astudillo is not Salvadoran but was introduced as such which can cause to leave the listener with the impression that Mr. Astudillo has significantly more experience on the topic of El Salvador than he actually has. Secondly, Mr. Astudillo is not an expert on gang violence nor is he a spokesperson for the Salvadoran or Hispanic community. He is not a sociologist or a psychologist either.

More importantly, Mr. Astudillo’s comments are quite disturbing and inaccurate. Mr. Astudillo stated that members of the MS-13 gang are children from the war, a product of the war and that they were breastfed with their mother's milk while the civil war in El Salvador was taking place and thus “they have the violence in their genes." That is an ignorant and offensive statement, it implies all children born during or subsequent to wars are genetically predisposed to violence, it practically taints our whole community as well as many others who have come to this country fleeing situations of war.

This is particularly painful for a community that has endured disappearances of loved ones, torture and some of the most brutal forms of persecution.

Mr. Astudillo’s comments recklessly add insult to injury. Mr. Astudillo added that Salvadorans run away from the war to other countries, such as the USA and Canada and their children had violence in their genes and went on to create the MS-13 gang.

This is an unfounded theory. As you no doubt appreciate, gangs have existed in almost every country. For instance, there are gangs in Canada, which has no recent history of civil wars. Theories abound as to why gangs are created, but providing a forum to someone as misinformed and ignorant of the issues as Mr. Astudillo, is misguided.

While HOLA respects freedom of expression it takes issue with Mr. Astudillo making offensive, unfounded and damaging generalizations about a specific community. His theory that mothers passed off violent genes to their children through breast milk is scientifically unsubstantiated, sexist and inflammatory.

This broadcast has understandably caused quite a stir within the Hispanic community. Mr. Astudillo’s interview was broadcast as part of the morning show yet it was pre-recorded allowing CBC time to review, edit and/or censor its content to comply with its Journalistic Standards and Practices. There are numerous Salvadorans and Hispanics who have fled wars who are successful and making very positive contributions to Canada.

Your Metro Morning listeners now need to hear from such people. As it stands, many of your listeners were left with the distorted impression that the over 100,000 Salvadoran community is a scary potentially violent group. HOLA would like to request a public apology from the CBC and for the CBC to provide a forum to set the record straight, where Salvadoran and other Hispanic professionals can discuss the issue of gangs from a more accurate/scientific perspective, as well as a forum where a more realistic light can be shone on our community. This would give us an opportunity to show the Metro Morning audience that Mr. Astudillo's theory is seriously flawed. Our request is based on CBC’ Mandate which states that:
We are committed to providing information that is factual, accurate and comprehensive. Balanced viewpoints must be presented through on-the-air discussions….

CBC online journalistic material should present a balanced overall view of controversial matters. It should avoid the reality or the appearance of promoting particular opinions or of being manipulated into doing so by external factors. CBC online journalistic material should reflect the general discourse of our society. This includes presenting the views of persons whose insights, experience or expertise merit individual expression. Care must be taken that these statements of opinion avoid a cumulative bias over a period of time. Online journalistic personnel should always be mindful of the CBC's responsibility to present the widest possible range of ideas and views.
(Principles stated in III.5.3., Balance, Continuing Programs of CBC Journalistic Standards and Practices, modified for online journalistic practice.)


Por: Sandra Lozano
Vice President and Public Relations Director on behalf of the HOLA Executive