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Hezbollah in Latin America

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Hezbollah in Latin America
Dates of operation1980s–present
AllegianceHezbollah
Active regionsSouth America
IdeologyShia Islamism
Antisemitism
Part ofHezbollah
AlliesVenezuela
Iran
OpponentsArgentina
Brazil
Paraguay
United States
Israel[1]
Designated as a terrorist group byArgentina[2]
Paraguay[3]
Colombia[4]
Honduras[5]

Hezbollah in Latin America[a] is a splinter organization of the Shia Islamist Lebanon-based group Hezbollah which operates in throughout South America.[6]

History

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The group was established in the 1980s in the tri-border region of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina which was considered a safe haven for the group's operations of smuggling, recruitment, and plotting of attacks.[7] They expanded into Venezuela with some degree of sponsorship from the Venezuelan state.[8] They also receive funding from the Iranian state to conduct operations against U.S. and Jewish interests in South America with many of the members of the group being Arab Muslims who either immigrated or were born in South America.[9] The establishment was also seen as a way for Iran to get more leverage against the U.S., with this formation being taken as the setting up of a South American proxy terrorist network.[10]

In 1994 the group bombed the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building.[11][12] Though a Palestinian Jihadist group took responsibility as a front for Hezbollah.[13]

Terrorism after October 7th

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After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and throughout the Israel–Hamas war, Hezbollah was accused of planning to carry out terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli civilians in South America.[14]

In November 2023 two men who had links to Hezbollah in Latin America and the main group of Hezbollah were arrested by Brazilian police.[15] One of the men was arrested in the international airport in São Paulo after coming from Lebanon into Brazil.[16] The plan that the men had was to attack Jewish communities in Brazil, but the plan was foiled with assistance from the Mossad intelligence agency.[17][18] In addition to these arrests, the Brazilian police executed 11 search warrants in relation to the recruitment of extremists in Brazil.[19]

Revenue

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Most of the group's international revenue comes from Iran, with some funds being laundered from Venezuela. Some of the revenue that is gained by Hezbollah in Latin America goes towards the main group in Lebanon to make up for loss of funds in Lebanon.[20] A lot of the funds they receive in South America come from the smuggling of illegal items through the tri-border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay which is used to fund terroristic activities. Many of these items include drugs, stolen goods, weaponry, and pirated content.[21] The group also funnels cocaine through Colombia and Venezuela.[22] Selling illegal goods make up around 60–70% of all of the group's revenue.[23]

Sanctions

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The United States have issued many sanctions against the group, but they have been more limited in South American compared to its Lebanese sector.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Ottolenghi, Emanuele (2023-10-28). "Hezbollah's Terror Threat In Latin America". Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  2. ^ "Argentina designates Hezbollah as terrorist organisation". 2019-07-18. pp. BBC News. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  3. ^ Ottolenghi, Emanuele (2019-08-29). "From Latin America to West Africa, Hezbollah's complex web of connections is fuelling its terrorist activity". The National. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  4. ^ Pamuk, Humeyra; Griffin, Oliver (2020-01-20). "Much work remains in Colombia's fight against coca cultivation, Pompeo says". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  5. ^ "Honduras declares Hezbollah a terrorist organization". Reuters. 2020-01-20. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  6. ^ Ortega, Aurora (2022-03-28). "Hezbollah in Colombia Past and Present Modus Operandi and the Need for Greater Scrutiny". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  7. ^ Hudson, Rex (2003). "TERRORIST AND ORGANIZED CRIME GROUPS IN THE TRI-BORDER AREA (TBA) OF SOUTH AMERICA" (PDF). Library of Congress. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-11-07. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  8. ^ Guarin P., Jeferson (2020-12-30). "FARC-Hezbollah: The success of Venezuela-Iran proxy groups and their convergence in the Americas". Security and Defence Quarterly. 31 (4): 117–134. doi:10.35467/sdq/130934. ISSN 2300-8741.
  9. ^ Gato, Pablo; Windrem, Robert (2007-05-09). "Hezbollah builds a Western base". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  10. ^ "US says Iran increasing activity in Latin America". Reuters. 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  11. ^ Levitt, Matthew (2013). Hezbollah: the global footprint of Lebanon's party of God. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. pp. 106 and 123. ISBN 978-1-62616-201-3.
  12. ^ Noriega, Roger F.; Cárdenas, José R. (2011). The Mounting Hezbollah Threat in Latin America (Report). American Enterprise Institute.
  13. ^ Chalk, Peter, ed. (2013). Encyclopedia of terrorism. Vol. 2: M – Z. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-30895-6.
  14. ^ "Hezbollah operations in South America: what we know". France 24. 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  15. ^ Phillips, Tom (2023-11-08). "Two with suspected Hezbollah links held in Brazil over alleged terror plot". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  16. ^ "Police in Brazil foil an alleged attack Israel claims was planned by Hezbollah". Associated Press. 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  17. ^ "Israel's Mossad says helped Brazilian police foil alleged Hezbollah attack". Al Jazeera English. 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  18. ^ Toueg, Gabriel (2023-11-08). "Brazil nabs suspected Hezbollah operatives said planning attacks on Jewish targets". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  19. ^ "Brazilian Police Arrest Two People, Thwart Hezbollah Attack". Voice of America. 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  20. ^ Hussein, Rikar (2018-12-13). "Western Officials Discuss Hezbollah's Latin Efforts". Voice of America. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  21. ^ "Hezbollah in South America: The Threat to Businesses". Stratfor. 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  22. ^ Cengiz, Mahmut; Pardo-Herrera, Camilo (2023-04-25). "Hezbollah's Global Networks and Latin American Cocaine Trade". Small Wars Journal. ISSN 2156-227X. OCLC 229127994. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  23. ^ Mohnblatt, Debbie (2022-10-19). "Jihad in Latin America: Illicit activities in the region fund Hezbollah". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  24. ^ Ottolenghi, Emanuele (2016-11-28). "Sanctions against Hezbollah in Latin America too often limited". The Hill. ISSN 1521-1568. OCLC 31153202. Retrieved 2024-05-06.

Notes

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  1. ^ Spanish: Hezbolá en América Latina, Portuguese: Hezbollah na América Latina, Arabic: حزب الله في أمريكا اللاتينية
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