The Justice Department's recent announcement that an Iranian agent attempted to recruit a Mexican drug gang to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in the United States presents an opportunity for the Obama administration finally to draw the line on Iran's growing presence in the Western Hemisphere. As we establish in a paper we co-authored recently for the American Enterprise Institute, "The Mounting Hezbollah Threatin Latin America," over the past several years, Iran, with its...

Until Chavez assumed power Iran's presence in the Western Hemisphere was not as strong as it is today. Its proxy, Hezbollah, had presence and even committed a number of atrocities in Latin America such as the attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Buenos Aires. However, its presence increased manifold since Chavez and his Bolivarian revolution began to spread throughout the hemisphere. Not surprisingly the Iranians have tried to carry out another act of terrorism by attempting to...

Wrenching political and economic forces are at play at the United Nations regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Colombia, which currently holds a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC), is receiving a great deal of attention for harmoniously aligning its position on the issue with that of the US On the other hand, there is a great divide between Brazil and Colombia, the two Latin American nations that currently have non-permanent seats on the UNSC, and which hold opposing...

The war against Mexican drug cartels is often portrayed as a war against a criminal operation taking place in Mexico. Furthermore, it is also portrayed as a problem between the United States and Mexico. However, we would argue as we have done repeatedly in the past that drug cartels constitute, willingly and unwillingly, part of an asymmetric war not only against the United States but against many countries in the region, as well. This asymmetric war is sometimes intentional and sometimes...

The Americas Report has previously written about the links between Hezbollah and the Venezuelan government’s support of the FARC, stemming from the unholy anti-American alliance between the presidents of Iran and Venezuela. Since the establishment of the Iran-Venezuela Joint Bank, the relationship has moved from a passive appreciation to a more active support role, which it is speculated will lead to increased funding for Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Troubling developments included...

A number of Congressmen have requested an investigation of possible nuclear cooperation between Venezuela, Iran and Argentina. Suspicions of such connections are based on information made available by the State Department. According to sources, Iran is interested in a program of modernization of the Argentine nuclear plants. Argentina maintained a nuclear cooperation agreement with Iran that was suspended in the early 90’s by the Argentinean government. Then, tensions between the two...

In the last several days it has been reported that Iran is planning to place medium-range missiles in Venezuela. Such information seems to confirm last November's article published by the German daily Die Welt. The newspaper reported that an agreement was signed last October between the two countries; a fact that has remained mostly unknown to the public. The Menges Hemispheric Security Project has often spoken about such a possibility. Indeed, Venezuela and Iran have mutual interests in doing...

Recently, the United States and Colombia signed a long-awaited free trade agreement that is expected to boost job growth in both countries. Yet another recent trade deal that received scant attention is perhaps far more important to American interests. Last November, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced he would partner with Iran to develop the country's vast lithium reserves. Lithium is an important mineral with a variety of uses from producing rechargeable batteries to creating various...

The publication is published four reports of secret former U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua Paul Trayvelli (Paul Trivelli), dated 2007, which alleged that Mohamed Lashtar cooperates with the Libyan secret services. "Mohamed Lashtar is a key figure of Daniel Ortega and the environment associated with the intelligence service Gaddafi. Through it carried secret funding Nicaraguan President "- said in a secret report dated January 23, 2007. In the secret dispatches the U.S. Embassy in...

The Libyan war has nothing to do to with humanitarian concerns, a senior member of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's ruling party this week. According to Carlos Escarra Malave, vice president of Venezuela's standing committee on foreign policy, the United States and its European allies "invaded" Libya so they could confiscate $200 billion in frozen assets belonging to the family of Muammar Gaddafi. They "could save their own economies by confiscating those assets," he...