Ecuador has always been an open and welcoming country, characterized by being a multicultural society. This is the side, the bright aspect of our native land that we should make sure to show when living abroad.
An Ecuadorian international student has allegedly attacked with a knife a professor and two students at Waterloo university in Ontario Canada, on June 28th 2023. The 24 years-old man whose name is Giovanni Villalba Aleman, entered a classroom and asked what was the subject being taught. Witnesses said that as soon as he knew the topic was gender identity, he got out of his backpack a knife and proceeded to attack the professor and some of the students as well.
The suspect has been arrested and there is an ongoing investigation. Waterloo university principal has declared that no intimidation is powerful enough to shut up voices in favor of inclusion and the expression of gender diversity. In other words, there is no place for hate in a university campus.
Personally, as an Ecuadorian international student in Canada, I am ashamed and saddened to know that a countryman of mine has decided to act in such a heinous way, showing no compassion at all for other human beings. But it is even worse than that since he actively pursued to seriously threaten their lives by the sole fact of disagreeing in controversial issues such as gender diversity.
No matter how different your thought is from the opinions, convictions or beliefs others have, you are never allowed to threaten anybody's life. This attack represent the persistence of intolerant views and the person who carried it out must be prosecuted rigorously according to the law. Crimes motivated by hate have no place in a multicultural society where different voices should always have the right to be heard as long as they do not harm others.
Last but not least, an international student should have been grateful to Canada, a country that opened its arms to reach the opportunity of pursuing quality studies and the promise of a better future. This dream has now been shattered for Villalba himself, while his country of origin, and his own family, are deeply sorry for this coward act of hatred. Ecuador has always been an open and welcoming country, characterized by being a multicultural society. This is the side, the bright aspect of our native land that we should make sure to show when living abroad.
Nicolas Dousdebes
Student
Master's program
in Peace and Conflict Studies
University of Manitoba
Canada