Esther Cunio, a 90-year-old Jewish-Argentinian survivor of the October 7 massacre at Kibbutz Nir Oz, told the producers of a documentary about the Latino survivors of October 7 that mentioning Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi in her conversation with the terrorists saved her life.
Cunio described how two terrorists stormed into her home and asked where her entire family was, to which she replied that she lived alone. The terrorists then wanted to kidnap her.
“There will be no people here,” they announced. “It’s all going to be on fire.”
“Don’t speak to me because I don’t understand your language,” Cunio replied. “You speak Arabic, while I speak Hebrew poorly. “I speak Argentine Spanish.”
The terrorist then asked her what Argentina is, so she diverted the conversation to soccer.
“Do you watch soccer?” Cunio asked.
“Yes, yes I like soccer,” the terrorist said.
“I’m from where Messi is from,” Cunio responded.
“Messi! I like Messi,” the terrorist said.
He then made her pose for a photo with him, which went viral, showing her with his gun in her lap and making the victory sign with her hand. The terrorists left her alone and left her home.
Esther credits Messi with saving her life and hopes he is aware that she mentioned him.
“And now I hope that if he knows that I mentioned him and because of him I was saved. Now I would ask for my grandchildren. For my two grandchildren who are locked up there and I would tell him to please pray to God to send them to him. That he tries to get them out, because they are kids who are worth gold,” she urged.
David and Ariel, Cunio’s grandchildren, have been hostages in Gaza for 153 days. David was accompanied by his wife Sharon and their two daughters, who were released in November as part of the hostage deal.
The documentary, created by the non-profit media organization Fuente Latina, is still in production. The organization strives to “ensure Spanish-speaking journalists and influencers around the world can access the tools and stories necessary to provide accurate coverage of Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, regardless of geographic location,” according to its website.
Leah Soibel, CEO and Founder of Fuente Latina, stated that the documentary was both unique and critical to preserving testimonies for future generations.
“This documentary is unique in that it focuses on the Spanish-speaking community in Israel and tells their stories of horror and heroism during the Hamas attack to millions of Hispanics around the world. “The film is critical because it preserves these testimonies for future generations, ensuring that the truth is not distorted or forgotten, as it has been in the past,” Soibel stated.
The film’s director, Tony Hernandez, stated that making the documentary was a privilege.
“Documenting the narratives of the October 7 Hamas attacks from the viewpoints of Spanish-speaking immigrants has been an extraordinary privilege. Our film aims to preserve the lessons of history while leveraging the strength of our shared humanity in the battle against terrorism.”
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