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Hizbollah Makes Inroads into South America
September 12, 2008 3:48 PM
By SONIA GALLEGO, ABC News Digital Reporter, Brazil
As the U.S.'s attention has been diverted to the hot spots in Bush’s "war on terror," namely Iraq and Afghanistan, their neighbors in South America have been forging other friendships with more distant lands -- in particular with China and Iran.
China has been extremely important in securing agricultural and manufacturing deals with countries such as Brazil and Argentina, but Iran has also been seen as an increasingly important partner to secure relationships with. In the past year, Iran and Venezuela have cozied up to one another, both bound by their mutual loathing of President Bush.
Trade centered on the manufacturing industries has been focal in the Venezuela-Iran get together, but both countries are also seeking to bond beyond trade -- a prospect that has left observers in Washington -- and Jerusalem -- decidedly nervous.
A recent report in the L.A. Times claimed that the relationship between Iran and Venezuela is also being used opportunistically by organisations such as the Lebanese-based Hizbollah, setting up anti- Western terrorist cells in strategic areas of the continent. Already this year, Iran announced that it was setting up TV stations in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Bolivia, which could potentially be an opportunity for Hizbollah to take their operations further in to South America.
Jewish communities in South America have been vocal about their fears, citing the 1992 Israeli Embassy bomb attack, which was claimed by Islamic Jihad, a group that has ties to Hizbollah. There have long been whispered accusations of gun-running and other shady deals in the tripartite border area between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay by Middle Eastern organizations with links to terrorism.
Much to the chagrin of the U.S. government, Hizbollah itself is not regarded as a terrorist organisation by many Latin American governments, allowing Hizbollah to engage in more activities in the region.
The deal making between Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Iran, is also a conscious kick in the face to U.S. foreign policy. No love is lost between the left-wing governments in many Latin American countries and the U.S., exemplified by the constant anti- U.S. rhetoric of Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez.
Bolivia has also had tempestuous relations with Washington recently. This week, the relationship took a decidedly sour turn when, in an increasing volatile political situation, Bolivia’s President Evo Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador for allegedly provoking and inciting riots and anti-government protests in the gas-rich region of Santa Cruz, in eastern Bolivia.
Washington responded in kind by ousting Bolivia’s envoy to the U.S. And, not one to be outdone when it comes to the politics of histrionics, Chavez also announced that as a sign of solidarity to his left-wing comrade he too would eject the U.S. ambassador from Venezuelan territory.
Chavez’s rambunctious speech, peppered with expletives last night, was made before a huge crowd of his supporters. He turned the air blue with his theatrical indignation. “Shi**y Yankees!” he cried, “Go to hell a hundred times!,” which got the big-up from his selected audience.
It has all the makings of a Latin American soap opera, were it not for the potentially frightening repercussions.
Venezuela’s oil reserves -- 100 billion barrels of the stuff -- have allowed Chavez to play the Big Man in the name of Latin American interests. But how long can he keep this up for? Food is rationed in Venezuela and the country has become dependent upon food imports from Colombia. His anti-American rhetoric may thunder across the Caribbean, but he is still reliant upon the U.S., which remains an especially important client of the Venezuelan state oil company, PDVSA, supplying it with 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. So much for an anti-Yankee rant.
September 12, 2008 in Sonia Gallego | Permalink | User Comments (44)
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I take that back, I can see that a lot of you Americans can see through the BS, you are right that this is corporate media (the CIA has many assets there) making bogus connections so that Americans will believe Chavez supports terrorism. They did the same thing with Communism before, it's an old game and an old tactic, and this is pure smear campaigning, hard to believe they act like it's "reporting" on ABC. The liars, they are shills for the military industrial complex, they do the PR for their masters. Who owns ABC, anyway? I bet the board of directors is also on the board of some oil companies, the creeps.
Posted by: Rodrigo | Sep 13, 2008 5:19:40 PM
Hey I gotta give Hezbollah props (I Love how ABC even misspelled Hezbollah :) ). Hezbollah is able to fight for a cause that does not serve the corporate interests. They are not only able to fight their fight with out corporate influences, but they fight very well. They beat the super power in the middle east (Israel). Its old news that they are operating in South America.
Posted by: Citizen in FL | Sep 13, 2008 5:27:51 PM
And guess what, those "freedom fighters" Reagan sponsored were CIA-trained terrorists, and when Nicaragua sued the US for it the UN court, what did America say? "We don't recognize your jurisdiction." That's right, and the US government doesn't respect other countries' jurisdictions and borders, they invade their puppet banana republics gone bad, like Panama or Iraq, and they slander and libel any country that has a sense of self-determination. Do you know how many people are behind Chavez or Morales? 95%, and who are the 5% against them? Who do you think? And those are the folks who have powerful connections into Washington D.C. and the money master in America, who of course want to overthrow these "people's presidents" so that they can get back to business as usual: 95% of the wealth for us, 5% of the wealth for the peasants (who are the 95%). So they start writing about Hezbollah to get you ready for sending some "freedom fighters" down to help another evil coup. Wake up, people.
Posted by: Rodrigo | Sep 13, 2008 5:36:55 PM
hey light group, whats a free world? hugo isn't the monster that the fox world is trying to make out. he hasn't killed as many people as a certain pseudo texan. and health care is free unlike the freedom lovin USA.
Posted by: stu | Sep 13, 2008 6:25:28 PM
And the disease spreads....
Posted by: urma | Sep 13, 2008 9:55:51 PM
this is how its gonna go...
1. new US president...
2.troop shifts in middle east, bring 2/5 ths of the troops home, send 2/5 to afganistan, and 1/5 to venezuela to overthrow chavez.
Posted by: plisskenman | Sep 13, 2008 11:39:33 PM
Joeforsure....you my friend, are a dip...thankfully you live in a country where there are not many repercussions for being stupid or you would probably be dead....kind of like that first wildebeast that gets eaten by the crocodile at the rivers edge...One statement says it all...you think Chavez is spreading the oil wealth around to the people...the same people who have to get their food rationed out to them...man you are a dip.
Posted by: Greg | Sep 14, 2008 12:03:07 AM
Rodrigo you are a dip too. 95% of the money bieng made by the state on oil is just going to a different elite class in Venezuela...if the money was going to the poeple...the people would not be getting their food rationed. Dip
Posted by: Greg | Sep 14, 2008 12:06:55 AM
Whenever I travel to other countries - including Europe, or to Egypt, China, etc. people say to me, "How could you Americans elect that man?" His "bring it on" talk, his "I expect them to follow us", etc. ego irritate people from other nations right off. Then what he does - like talk the main opposition leader in Egypt to run then letting him swing alone in the wind when he's arrested, create a Shiite nation in Iraq, etc. drives then to fury.
Posted by: Mickey | Sep 14, 2008 12:37:30 AM
To the one who has misconceptions of the US ideals, please review and learn the US history, how this country started and maintained its hopes and promises for its people. Anyone in his right mind can attest that living here everyone enjoys freedom, peace and prosperity. I hope every other country who is still under developed would someday attain this high class of living one's short life.
Posted by: peacelover | Sep 14, 2008 5:44:56 AM
Citizen in Fl ,,,,,,,,Hezbollah lost in the last war with Israel more than 1000 of his scumbags , calling this scum fighters is a joke
Finance is this garbage from Tehran, and not man enough to fight, used children and old ladies as a shield. And run like chicken, and Hugo need Hezbollah for the drugs his distributing to the Middle East …..
Posted by: sampf15 | Sep 14, 2008 4:33:41 PM
sampf15 you obviously have no clue what you are talking about. First of all, Hezbollah only lost about 250 of their fighters. The rest that died where civilians. These guys are fighters, the only ones that were the joke in that war was Israel. Its plain to see, Israel had better info collecting abilities, they have much newer and more advanced equipment (much newer than anything Hezbollah owns or used during the war), and they did NOT have an air force so they can drop bombs and run like sissies. Hezbollah does not run drugs, you are thinking about the Taliban and Al-Qaida. They make their money off of drug trade, not Hezbollah. Hezbollah clearly won the war against Israel. Israel might have shown the world that they have no regards for civilian lives just like Hezbollah does not, but Israel clearly lost. They went to war for 2 reasons:
1) get back their kidnapped soldiers
2) Dismantle and destroy Hezbollah
Well guess what chump, Israel did NOT get back their soldiers and Israel not only failed to dismantle an destroy Hezbollah, they actually made Hezbollah stronger than they were BEFORE the war. Israeli ground operations Hezbollah? A joke. Israel has the strongest/best tanks in the world, and they were getting blown up and destroyed like they were nothing. Their aerial campaign? Ok so we know Israel has planes and jets that are capable of dropping bombs. and? The only thing Israel did in their aerial campaign was kill a sh*it load of civilians, and the ones the did not kill sided with Hezbollah. Sorry, by anyones account that was a failed war.
And just because Hezbollah has a presence in South America, it does not mean Hugo Chavez is involved (even though your simple feeble mind what assume that). There are HUGE Lebanese communities all over South American and also a VERY VERY large Lebanese community in Toronto (yes in Canada), does that mean the Canadian prime minister has relations with Hezbollah? No.
Posted by: Citizen in FL | Sep 14, 2008 7:03:50 PM
Citizen in Fl ,,,,,,,, 1127 Hezbollah scumbags lost in the last war will Hassan Nasrallah was hiding in a bunker in Tehran ,the families bin ask to grieve quietly , I wonder if they gut the money he promise ,you get your information from El Manar ore Al Manor … ha…..And is he out of the bunker already mast be horrible living in a hole I hope you people let him out ones a day to have fresh air
Posted by: sampf15 | Sep 15, 2008 5:03:05 AM
sampf15 your a douche. i actually got my info from Wikipedia. And i dont have arabic tv at my house sorry, I dont have whatever tv station you are referring to. I dont know which bogus site you got your lies from either. Go read a book or something
Posted by: Citizen in FL | Sep 15, 2008 7:21:16 AM
sampf15 your a douche. i actually got my info from Wikipedia. And i dont have arabic tv at my house sorry, I dont have whatever tv station you are referring to. I dont know which bogus site you got your lies from either. Go read a book or something
Posted by: Citizen in FL | Sep 15, 2008 7:22:15 AM
Citizen in Fl ,,,,,,,,If your source of information is Wikipedia ,you do your intellect a big service by informing yourself with ABC NEWS , this news service is reliable and accountable . Wikipedia is consider more gossip ,than info….
Posted by: sampf15 | Sep 15, 2008 9:38:05 AM
To sampf15:
You seems to know a lot about Hezbollah. I think you are either a Chavista or Someone related to Hezbollah. Do you know that Chavez snore cocaine and then do deal with terrorist. Poor Venezuela, I feel sorry for the people in that country who had to deal with such of maniac.
Posted by: whocares | Sep 15, 2008 12:10:47 PM
To sampf15:
You seems to know a lot about Hezbollah. I think you are either a Chavista or Someone related to Hezbollah. Do you know that Chavez snore cocaine and then do deal with terrorist. Poor Venezuela, I feel sorry for the people in that country who had to deal with such of maniac.
Posted by: whocares | Sep 15, 2008 12:10:52 PM
I live in Venezuela and it surprises me this article says food is rationed here, which is false at least in the country I live in, its an awesome lie so impressive you can immediately conclude that the rest of the news is a lie too.
Posted by: RandalPinto | Sep 16, 2008 11:10:49 AM
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