Readers of the Miami Herald and the El Nuevo Herald noticed a racist and anti-Semitic insert in one of the latest editions. The column in the insert compared BLM activists to Nazis while talking down about the Jewish community.

The Miami Herald recently published a racist and anti-Semitic insert.

How far would an advertorial get that began "What kind of people are these Cubans?"

I am so embarrassed for the dozens of fantastic journalists at the @MiamiHerald who you've humiliated out of greed or incompetence.

Whichever it is, you need to resign.https://t.co/K58sW0Uus3

— Alfred Spellman (@AlfredSpellman) September 11, 2020

The offensive piece, written by Cuban exile Roberto Luque Escalona, received harsh and immediate backlash. Escalona expresses his displeasure for the Jewish community and those seeking racial justice by joining BLM with one column.

“What kind of people are these Jews” writes Escalona. He then continues to “teach” Jewish people the history of the Holocaust and claims that BLM supporters are worse than the Nazis during Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, because the Nazis simply destroyed things and didn’t steal.

The newspaper has apologized for the insert going so far as to admit that it was not properly vetted and that “internal failures” were at play.

We are appalled by the views expressed in the column that appeared in Libre and condemn it in the strongest terms. We are suspending this relationship pending further investigation, which has already begun.

— Mindy Marques (@MindyMarques) September 11, 2020

According to an open letter, higher ups at the Miami Herald admit to the insert not being read and vetted by the staff. The obvious overlook led to a 40-page insert of right-wing propaganda to be distributed to the readers of both the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. Since the publication, the Miami Herald claims to have ended their relationship with Libre, the insert with the racist and anti-Semitic content.

Those responsible at the Miami Herald admitted to not reading the insert before it was distributed.

Miami Herald apologizes for publishing racist, anti-Semitic insert. The editors, blaming "internal failures," admitted they had not read an ad supplement that said American Jews support "thieves and arsonists" and compared BLM protesters to Nazis. https://t.co/xKs3Uz5mRM

— Jennifer Ouellette (@JenLucPiquant) September 17, 2020

“We are deeply sorry that inflammatory, racist and anti-Semitic commentary reached our el Nuevo Herald subscribers through LIBRE, a Spanish-language publication that paid our company to have the product printed and inserted into our print edition as a weekly supplement,” reads part of an open letter to readers. “The fact that no one in leadership, beginning with us, had previously read this advertising insert until this issue was surfaced by a reader is distressing. It is one of a series of internal failures that we are investigating in order to prevent this from ever recurring.”

Readers are outraged that the newspaper would allow such offensive things to be published and distributed.

He’s comparing Kristallnacht’s destruction w/ BLM protests. Except the protests which began w/ Floyd are intended to *stop* racism, while Krisallnacht was was intended to *promote* racism & extinguish Jewish life in Germany. WTF is wrong with the Miami Herald?
– a subscriber

— **Object in Mirror** (@gwshel) September 12, 2020

The right-wing conspiracies pushed by Libre are part of a larger Spanish-language disinformation campaign targeting Cubans in southern Florida. The community has been inundated with disinformation ahead of the 2020 election preying on the fears and ignorance within the staunchly conservative Cuban community.

“It’s difficult to measure the effect exactly, but the polling sort of shows it and in focus groups it shows up, with people deeply questioning the Democrats, and referring to the ‘deep state’ in particular — that there’s a real conspiracy against the president from the inside,” Eduardo Gamarra, a pollster and director of the Latino Public Opinion Forum at Florida International University, told Politico. “There’s a strain in our political culture that’s accustomed to conspiracy theories, a culture that’s accustomed to coup d’etats.”

The disinformation is targeting Cubans because of the growing Latino communities who tend to vote Democratic.

Misinformation and racism are a growing concern in media targeting Florida’s Latino community. Radio Caracol aired a 16-minute paid program claiming if Joe Biden won the election, the country would become a dictatorship run by “Jews and Blacks.” https://t.co/NJHGBp3LEJ

— Lesley Abravanel🆘 (@lesleyabravanel) September 16, 2020

According to Politico, the campaign is Cuban specific. The Puerto Rican, Nicaraguan, Colombian, Venezuelan, and Dominican communities in Florida, which continue to grow, typically vote Democratic. These shifting demographics have left Republicans doing anything it takes to keep a strong hold of the Cuban community, even by means of racism, anti-Semitism, and disinformation.

READ: Politicians Need To Stop Assuming That The Latino Vote Is A Monolith Because It Is Not The Truth

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We are rarely more defensive than we are for our abuelos. The viejitos have always been there for us and seeing them treated unkindly is just heartbreaking. That is what one Twitter user experienced after her abuelo got a wretched note about his decorations outside his home.

This is the horrid letter left for @goldenstef’s abuelo by undesirable neighbors.

someone REALLY sent this to my grandpa…… my man is just trynna decorate his house and……. i fucking hate people pic.twitter.com/BIdolY5VGm

— e (@goIdenstef) September 13, 2020

The letter, which is filled with misspelled words, calls the abuelo’s house an example of a “low class Mexican family.” The letter was written anonymously by neighbors and delivered to the abuelo in an attempt to shame him into changing his decorations. One of the most bizarre moments in the letter is when the angry author criticized the homeowner for having too many American flags claiming he isn’t patriotic and can’t fool the neighbors. Like, which one is it people?

The Twitter user followed up with photos of the house to show the decorations their abuelo has out front.

omg house reveal 🙊 sorry the pics aren’t the best he lives 2 hours away so i couldn’t take them and he isn’t the best with technology LOL pic.twitter.com/mRdfSy2F2j

— e (@goIdenstef) September 14, 2020

People flooded the Twitter post with comments supporting and sending love to the abuelo. Fellow Latinos are ready to stand with the abuelo and some just want the names of the people behind the letter so they can talk to them. Some people are stunned at how far the author was willing to go out of their way to be mean to an old man who just wants to decorate his home and front yard.

Latino Twitter wants to come together to let the abuelo know that his decorations are adorbs.

I want to know how to send grandpa MORE decorations! ❤️

— susie samuels (@susiesamuels10) September 18, 2020

We need to come together to give her abuelo all of the wonderful decoration we love. Let’s turn his house and front yard into a showcase of all of the greatness that Latin America has to offer.

People are falling in love with this viejitos yard.

his yard is literally so cute they’re trippin tf out pic.twitter.com/BcbQc1yJRg

— ziah （＾ω＾） (@ziahmicai) September 15, 2020

Honestly, this is a great yard. Who wouldn’t want a yard like this? This yard is original and adorable and worth all of the praise that we can muster. Thank you to people like this for making their yards something unique and worth seeing.

@goldenstef wants everyone to know just how much they appreciate the sweet messages about their abuelo’s yard.

thank you to everyone being nice to my grandpa i can’t wait to tell him the nice things everyones saying!!! i hope it cheers him up 🥺

— e (@goIdenstef) September 14, 2020

It costs nothing to be kind. It is even better when you can be kind about something someone clearly cares so much about. Who cares if someone decorates their lawn a little too much. At least they are having fun with their lives and that is something we all need more of right now.

READ: Latinas Are Sharing Their Most Treasured Memories Of Their Abuelos And It’s Exactly What We Needed This Month

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