West Fears Hezbollah Presence in Latin America

On August 27th, the Los Angeles Times newspaper reported an unnamed Western anti-terrorism official expressing concern over Venezuela fostering the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon; by way of establishing a base for operations in Latin America.

The newspaper quoted the anonymous official, stating that Hezbollah may benefit from the close ties between Iran and Venezuela so as to move [quote] “people and things” into Latin America.
Iran-Venezuela affairs have strengthened since the 2006 bilateral trade agreements between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In May of this year, Tehran and Caracas announced the creation of a shared bank, and a month earlier, the two countries signed 15 cooperation agreements in the areas of energy, construction and agriculture.

But relations between both countries have also solidified through their shared antagonism toward the U.S.

Earlier this year, a US State Department report on terrorism said that Iran and Venezuela began weekly flights between their capitals, and the passengers were not subject to proper checks. Among the passengers was a suspect in the plot to bomb New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

On June 18th, the United States Treasury Department designated two individuals based in Venezuela as supporters of Hezbollah, and froze their U.S. assets. One of the individuals was said to have met with senior members of the Shiite militant group to discuss “operational issues, including possible kidnappings and terrorist attacks”.

The same unnamed source was quoted by the LA times as saying that the relationship between Iran and Venezuela “preserves the capability of Hezbollah and the [Islamic] Revolutionary Guard [Corps] to mount attacks inside Latin America” adding that “it’s becoming a strategic partnership”.

The daily also quoted an expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, saying that Hezbollah “has long operated in the Lebanese communities of Latin America” and that besides receiving a multimillion-dollar boost from Iran, “it finances itself by soliciting or extorting money from the Lebanese diaspora and through rackets such as smuggling, fraud and the drug and diamond trade in South America and elsewhere.”

The U.S. accuses Iran of funding and arming the Lebanese militia group, but Tehran says its role in Lebanon is a positive one and that it provides only moral support for Hezbollah.