Tag: Iran in Latin America

Iran
Hezbollah

Iran, Hezbollah threaten Argentina: Milei

The Argentine government of far-right President Javier Milei announced that it has placed its borders on alert due to potential infiltration of operatives linked to Iran and Hezbollah. There have long been concerns about a Hezbollah presence in the Triborder Region where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. But Interior Minister Patricia Bullrich in making the announcement this time emphasized a supposed threat from Bolivia. Following years of closer ties, including security cooperation, Bolivia and Iran signed a formal defense pact in July 2023. The deal was said to inlcude an Iranian pledge to provide Bolivia with drones for narcotics enforcement, but the terms were secretive, with both Argentina and the Bolivian opposition demanding clarity on the details. (Photo: Khamenei.ir via Wikimedia Commons)

Southern Cone
AMIA

Hezbollah operative indicted in Buenos Aires bombing

The US District Court for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment filed against Hezbollah operative Samuel Salman El Reda for his alleged involvement in a bomb attack on a Jewish community center in Argentina three decades ago. The 20-page indictment concerns the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and caused hundreds of injuries. The US government claims El Reda collaborated with the Hezbollah-linked Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO) in the attack.

Southern Cone

Argentina: judge orders arrest of former president

An Argentine judge ordered the arrest of current senator and former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner for her alleged involvement in a cover-up of Iran’s participation in a 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center that left 85 people dead. Kirchner is alleged to have signed a deal with the Iranian government that would allow for Argentine magistrates to interview the officials suspected of ordering the attack in Tehran rather than in Buenos Aires in an attempt to impede the investigation.

The Andes

Venezuela drops petro-dollar: how meaningful?

Venezuela, under growing pressure from US sanctions, has told oil traders that it is dropping petro-dollars for petro-euros and petro-yuans. Despite the instinct to cheer the decline of US world domination, will this make any real difference—either to Venezuela, still dependent on oil exports in a world of depressed prices, or to Planet Earth, facing biosphere collapse as a result of burning hydrocarbons?

North America

Trump: drug war general to Homeland Security

Gen. John Kelly, Trump's choice for Homeland Security secretary, is ex-chief of the Pentagon's Southern Command who clashed with Obama over his hardline views.

Southern Cone

Argentine judge demands Iraq arrest Iran diplomat

An Argentine federal judge called upon authorities in Iraq to arrest Iranian diplomat Ali Akbar Velayati, accused intellectual author of the 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires' Jewish center.

Southern Cone

Argentina: golpe or auto-golpe?

As charges were dropped against President Cristina Fernández, the intelligence service dissolved and cabinet purged, opposition lawmakers said a "self-coup" is in the works.

Southern Cone

Argentina and Iran in oil-for-terror deal?

Did Argentina's President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner strike a secret deal with Tehran to cover up Iran's role in a terror attack in exchange for guarantees of oil imports?

Southern Cone

Argentina: many are suspected in AMIA cover-up

It's not clear that anyone in Argentina's political class really wants the AMIA case solved. Israel and the US don't look much better. And suspect suicides are nothing new in Argentina.