DOCSLIB.ORG

Vice President Tarek El Aissami Responds to US Accusations Chancellor Rodriguez Denounced in the UN Illegitimate Forms of Approp

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Vice President Tarek El Aissami Responds to US Accusations Chancellor Rodriguez Denounced in the UN Illegitimate Forms of Approp FECHA DEL BOLETÍN CUMBE Weekly Newsletter of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela N° 34. March 02, 2017 Vice President Tarek El Aissami responds to US accusations Caracas, February 22, 2017 (MPPRE) .- The Executive The letter highlights the progress realized between 2008 Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and 2012 in the fight against drug cartels, the transnational Tareck El Aissami, issued a letter today through New business of illicit drug trafficking and its logistical structures. York Times newspaper, in which he responds to the ac- "Between those years, Venezuelan anti-drug authorities un- tions of the Department of Treasury of the United der my leadership arrested, imprisoned and brought to jus- States of America against him. tice, in Venezuela and in the countries that requested them, 102 heads of criminal drug trafficking organizations. From The letter to Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, high- all the heads captured, 21 were expeditiously deported to lights how the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) the United States and 36 to Colombia ..." has manipulated the information provided to Mnuchin, highlighting that the US politician "has been deceived "There is much that you should investigate before endorsing by political sectors, lobbyists and interest groups in the a false and reckless accusation, crafted by bureaucrats and United States, whose fundamental interest is to prevent anti-Venezuelan interest groups, that sets a dangerous prec- the United States and Venezuela from rebuilding their edent in the relationship between sovereign nations," writes political and diplomatic relations on the basis of mutual El Aissami; "The decision of 120 countries to reject these ille- recognition and respect. " gal measures against Venezuela is a clear indication of the serious error that constitutes the unilateral action and the El Aissami warns that the groups interested in under- opposition of the mining the US-Venezuela relationship "have no evi- international law dence to validate the very serious accusations that committed by the have been imputed to me (...) they have built a false North American positive case to criminalize - through me - the Govern- administration." ment of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a nation that holds a frontal and transparent battle against the transnational business of drug trafficking." Chancellor Rodriguez denounced in the UN illegitimate forms of appropriation of resources of the States Geneva, February 28, 2017 The minister said that "warfare is another form of ap- (MPPRE) .- The Minister of propriation," and said that by 2015 military expenditure Popular Power for Foreign in the world amounted to $ 1.7 trillion. Affairs of the Bolivarian Re- The capitalist model prevents the human being from public of Venezuela, Delcy being placed at the center of the humanist model, since Rodríguez, today denounced its interest is to generate wealth in an unequal way. commercial controversies and armed conflicts as forms of "Eight people have the wealth of half the world's popu- violation of international law by the capitalist model, for lation, and the five largest companies in the world, reg- the "illegitimate appropriation of the resources of sovereign istered in 2016, the equivalent income of 180 countries," States". added the Venezuelan Foreign Minister. th In her intervention at the 34 Regular Period of Sessions of She also denounced that Venezuela has been considered the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, the Vene- as an objective for the application of these coercive, uni- zuelan Foreign Minister said that in the period 1995-2005 lateral, illicit measures that violate the Public Interna- large transnational companies won 60% of the controver- tional Law. sies against the States, by appropriating their property. Made by the Institute of Strategic Research on Africa and its Diaspora, “Centre of African, American and Caribbean Kno- wledge” www.saberesafricanos.net CUMBE PAGE 2 Venezuela ratifies support for peace and Al-Qaeda wins its first Oscar independence of Palestine By misionverdad.com February 24, 2017 The most important event in the American cultural (MPPRE). - The presi- industry (the Oscars) honored the history of the Syrian dent of the Bolivarian White Helmets as the best short documentary. This Republic of Venezuela, short documentary was used to promote the nomina- Nicolás Maduro Moros, tion of the Syrian Helmets to the Nobel Peace prize reaffirmed this Friday last year. the support of this South This NGO of pretended rescuers in areas of the Syrian American country for conflict was founded in 2013, in Turkey by James Le peace and independ- Mesurier, former senior British official and high repre- ence of the State of Palestine, after holding a meeting at the sentative of the UN during the war of Bosnia and Ko- Palace of Miraflores with Foreign Minister Riad Malki. sovo. Le Mesurier was also part of military contractors The Prime Minister emphasized the need to promote an ef- Olive Security and Good Harbor International. The first fective negotiation to ensure respect for the right of Pales- is related to Blackwater (now Academy), famous for tine to have a State, territory and independence. "It is a its massacres against the civilian population in Iraq. world cause, it is a worldwide acclaim, in our America, Eu- The second was led by Richard Clark, former security rope, Africa, Asia and beyond. The Palestine cause is a pend- adviser to George W. Bush. ing clamor”, he emphasized. These so-called rescuers make no effort to hide their For his part, Foreign Minister Riad Malki reiterated his grati- sympathy for Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (the name of Al- tude to the Government and people of Venezuela for their Qaeda in Syria). Neither they hide their festivities support of the Palestinian Cause: "I have not seen more re- when this terrorist organization or the Islamic State flection of solidarity and support for the Cause of Palestine in takes a city, going so far as to participate in executions any country of the world than as here, that’s why I feel perpetrated by the armed jihadists. To such an extent proud and I want to continue working for that relationship is their involvement in the conflict in favor of terrorism, that we have established between Venezuela and Palestine. which shows Syrian soldiers killed as trophies of war. The White Helmets also participated in the staging of President Maduro congratulates SADR on the rescue of the Syrian boy Omran Daqneesh in Sep- its 41st anniversary of its independence tember 2016, who was used for a viral propaganda operation to manipulate public opinion about alleged The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, bombings against Syrian civilians commanded by Rus- Nicolás Maduro Moros, on behalf of the Government and the sia and Bashar Al-Assad, in a clear display of advertis- Venezuelan people, congratulates the Sahrawi Arab Demo- ing morbidity. cratic Republic, on commemorating the forty-first anniver- sary of their independence, in which day the Saharawi peo- White Helmets operate in areas taken by "moderate ple Emancipated from all foreign power. rebels" and al-Qaeda militants, demonstrating who they work for in the end. Their orchestrated and pre- It is the greatest interest of Venezuela to continue advocate prepared rescues also serve a strategic military func- in the multilateral instances and from the chairmanship of tion: to sensitize public opinion to stop the Syrian army the Decolonization Committee for the respect and applica- and its allies from bombing and so Al-Qaeda can tion of the United Nations Arrangement Plan for the decolo- withdraw and protect itself from casualties on the nization of Western Sahara. ground. They are his press office and propaganda bar- We echo the words of Commander Hugo Chávez Frías when racks. he said: "Venezuela supports and recognizes the Sahrawi His Oscar nomination is an accolade from the financial Arab Democratic Republic, and we will continue to support elite (and his political advertising apparatus, Holly- it by raising our voice in all international forums in defense of wood) to terrorism in Syria. They boost their image, this noble, brave brotherly people fighting for their legiti- legitimate it before public opinion and try to shield the mate Rights to freedom and independence. " credibility of this vital NGO to generate anti-Syrian and anti-Russian humanitarian propaganda at a key moment of the conflict. More than a prize of consola- tion is a frontal support to the assassins of the Syrian nation, a call for the war to continue. ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION The revolution intensified the fight against drugs, Venezuela being declared by the UN as a territory free of illicit crops N° 34. MARCH 02, 2017 PAGE 3 Venezuela celebrates Carnival with successful deployment of security This Wednesday, President via his Twitter account. when more than 8 Recently, a security device was activated, in which more million 249,000 than 182,000 officials from the State security agencies, the people were mobi- Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), the Caracas lized for tourism General Staff and the ministries for Youth and Tourism purposes through- security were deployed in the country, in order to ensure out the country, the comprehensive security for the people. President of the During the weekend, the XIII Sports, Recreational and Republic, Nicolás Cultural Festival of Beaches was held in 141 places, where Maduro, celebrated the success of the deployment
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro’S Cabinet Chair: Peter Derrah
    Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro’s Cabinet Chair: Peter Derrah 1 Table of Contents 3. Letter from Chair 4. Members of Committee 5. Committee Background A.Solving the Economic Crisis B.Solving the Presidential Crisis 2 Dear LYMUN delegates, Hi, my name is Peter Derrah and I am a senior at Lyons Township High School. I have done MUN for all my four years of high school, and I was a vice chair at the previous LYMUN conference. LYMUN is a well run conference and I hope that you all will have a good experience here. In this committee you all will be representing high level political figures in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as you deal with an incomprehensible level of inflation and general economic collapse, as well as internal political disputes with opposition candidates, the National Assembly, and massive protests and general civil unrest. This should be a very interesting committee, as these ongoing issues are very serious, urgent, and have shaped geopolitics recently. I know a lot of these issues are extremely complex and so I suggest that you do enough research to have at least a basic understanding of them and solutions which could solve them. For this reason I highly suggest you read the background. It is important to remember the ​ ​ individual background for your figure (though this may be difficult for lower level politicians) as well as the political ideology of the ruling coalition and the power dynamics of Venezuela’s current government. I hope that you all will put in good effort into preparation, write position papers, actively speak and participate in moderated and unmoderated caucus, and come up with creative and informed solutions to these pressing issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions
    Updated April 24, 2019 Venezuela: Overview of U.S. Sanctions For more than a decade, the United States has employed Silva (former defense minister and governor of Trujillo sanctions as a policy tool in response to activities of the State), and Ramón Rodríguez Chacín (former interior Venezuelan government and Venezuelan individuals. These minister and former governor of Guárico); in 2011, Freddy have included sanctions related to terrorism, drug Alirio Bernal Rosales and Amilicar Jesus Figueroa Salazar trafficking, trafficking in persons, antidemocratic actions, (United Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV, politicians), human rights violations, and corruption. Overall, the Major General Cliver Antonio Alcalá Cordones, and Treasury Department has imposed financial sanctions on Ramon Isidro Madriz Moreno (a Venezuelan intelligence 111 individuals, and the State Department has revoked the officer); in 2017, then-Vice President Tareck el Aissami; visas of hundreds of individuals. On January 28, 2019, the and in May 2018, Pedro Luis Martin (a former senior Trump Administration announced sanctions on Venezuela’s intelligence official) and two of his associates. Others state-oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., or designated include drug trafficker Walid Makled, three dual PdVSA. Several days before the imposition of the PdVSA Lebanese-Venezuelan citizens allegedly involved in a drug sanctions, the United States recognized Juan Guaidó, the money-laundering network, and several Colombian drug head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, as the country’s traffickers with activity in Venezuela. interim president and ceased to recognize Nicolás Maduro as the president of Venezuela. Targeted Sanctions Related to Antidemocratic Actions, Human Rights Violations, and Corruption Terrorism-Related Sanctions In response to increasing repression in Venezuela, Congress Since 2006, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Statement of Celina B. Realuyo* Professor of Practice William J
    Statement of Celina B. Realuyo* Professor of Practice William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at National Defense University on “U.S. Efforts to Counter the Convergence of Terrorism and Crime with the Financial Instrument of National Power” at a Hearing Entitled “Exploring the Financial Nexus of Terrorism, Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime ” Before the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance, Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives March 20, 2018 * The views expressed in this testimony are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, National Defense University, or the Department of Defense. 1 Thank you Chairman Pearce, Vice Chairman Pittenger, Ranking Member Perlmutter, and members of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance for the opportunity to appear before this committee today to testify on U.S. efforts to counter the convergence of terrorism and crime with the financial instrument of national power. We face a myriad of security threats from revisionist states, aspiring nuclear powers, global terrorism, transnational organized crime, and cyber attacks that have made national security more daunting than ever before. The complexity of these security threats, especially from illicit networks, such as terrorists, criminals, and WMD proliferators, requires nimble, multi-disciplinary, and multilateral approaches to counter these threats effectively. Over the past year, the Trump Administration has issued strategies and policies to address the threats from terrorism and transnational organized crime to U.S. interests at home and abroad, including a new U.S. National Security Strategy. These new strategies recognize financing as one of the most critical of enablers for terrorism, crime, and corruption and include financial and economic measures that seek to better detect, dismantle, and deter these illicit threat networks.
    [Show full text]
  • HEZBOLLAH NETWORKS in VENEZUELA October 2020 KEY FACTS in BRIEF
    HEZBOLLAH NETWORKS IN VENEZUELA October 2020 KEY FACTS IN BRIEF • 61 nations worldwide have designated The Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist maintains an extensive relationship with organization.1 several foreign terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and its terror sponsor • Hezbollah’s External Security the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Organization (ESO) is active in Venezuela relationship is centered on a strategic through a support network embedded into partnership between the Maduro regime the Maduro regime’s illicit economy. and the Ayatollah’s of Iran providing Hezbollah members, sympathizers, • State support by the Maduro regime financiers, and fixers, the covert strengthens Hezbollah’s global movement movement of people, products, money, of illicit funds, people, products, and and materials. This movement is materials. facilitated through an illicit network tied to Venezuela’s Minister of Petroleum, Tareck El Aissami Maddah, and • The Chávez and now Maduro regime in members of his immediate family. The Venezuela has provided countless clandestine structure for this network was government ID documents to suspected designed by Lebanese-Venezuelan dual members and facilitators of Hezbollah. national and a former Venezuelan diplomat in Syria and Lebanon, Ghazi • Tareck El Aissami Maddah (TEAM) runs Nasr-al-Din, sanctioned on June 18, 2008 Venezuela’s illicit economy and national by US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets industry, linked to a trade-based money Control (OFAC) and placed as a “Person laundering network in the Americas of Interest” by the FBI on January 29, 2015 2 managed by Hezbollah support cells. for his support to Hezbollah. 1 In Europe, some nations, have only designated the “military” wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization while others, such as the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, have designated the whole organization.
    [Show full text]
  • Read the Testimony Here
    1 Chairman DeSantis, Ranking Member Lynch, and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you very much for convening this hearing to remind us all of the February 24, 1996, attack by the Castro regime on two unarmed U.S. civilian aircraft, which took the lives of four innocent people—Armando Alejandre, Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales—who were patrolling international waters to locate and rescue their Cuban brothers and sisters in peril on the sea.i Although 14 individuals were indicted for their role in this barbaric attack and one Cuban spy was convicted of murder, Fidel and Raul Castro were not indictedii—despite the late dictator’s public admission that the two brothers orchestrated this ambush and use of lethal force.iii In short, Mr. Chairman, the Castros and their coconspirators have never faced justice for this public execution of four innocent and courageous men. Indeed, this hearing is a timely opportunity to recognize that the regime in Havana has never been confronted for its international crime spree—which began six decades ago and continues to this very day. Until the United States and the international community recognize and confront this criminal enterprise, the gangsters in Havana will continue to act with impunity. From urging a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States in 1962,iv to organizing a terror campaign against Central American nations,v to sharing anti-American intelligence with our enemies from Baghdad to Belgrade;vi—the Castro regime (which remains the true source of power in Cuba despite a recent presidential transition to a hand- picked successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel) is an implacable and tireless foe of the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Kingpins and Corruption: Targeting Transnational Organized Crime in the Americas
    AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE KINGPINS AND CORRUPTION: TARGETING TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME IN THE AMERICAS WITH OPENING REMARKS BY SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL) OPENING REMARKS: MARCO RUBIO, US SENATE (R-FL) PANEL DISCUSSION PARTICIPANTS: DOUGLAS FARAH, IBI CONSULTANTS; JOSEPH HUMIRE, CENTER FOR A SECURE FREE SOCIETY; ROGER F. NORIEGA, AEI; CELINA REALUYO, NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY MODERATOR: KIRSTEN D. MADISON, AEI 3:45–5:25 PM MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017 EVENT PAGE: http://www.aei.org/events/kingpins-and-corruption-targeting- transnational-organized-crime-in-the-americas/ TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED BY DC TRANSCRIPTION – WWW.DCTMR.COM DANIELLE PLETKA: Good afternoon, everybody. If I could ask everybody who’s filing in to just be seated. Thank you so much. Good afternoon, everybody. And welcome to the American Enterprise Institute. I’m Danielle Pletka. I’m the senior vice president for foreign and defense policy studies here, and I am genuinely delighted that we have Senator Marco Rubio here with us today to help us roll out this new report. I’ve got my props here. I feel like Vanna White. “Kingpins and Corruption.” It is the product of the AEI Working Group on Transnational Organized Crime in the Americas, run by our visiting scholar, Ambassador Roger Noriega. I don’t think that Marco Rubio needs a lot of introduction to this audience, but I’m going to give you a word or two nonetheless. And then I’m going to hand things over and just do a little bit of housekeeping. Marco Rubio is the United States senator from Florida. He was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations
    Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations Updated April 28, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44841 SUMMARY R44841 Venezuela: Background and U.S. Relations April 28, 2021 The crisis in Venezuela has deepened under the authoritarian rule of Nicolás Maduro, who has consolidated power despite presiding over a dire economic and humanitarian Clare Ribando Seelke, crisis worsened by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Maduro, Coordinator narrowly elected in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chávez (president, 1999-2013), and the Specialist in Latin United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) took de facto control of the National American Affairs Assembly, the last independent branch of government, in January 2021. Maduro has resisted U.S. and international pressure to step down and an opposition led by Juan Rebecca M. Nelson Guaidó, the National Assembly president elected in 2015 and once regarded as interim Specialist in International Trade and Finance president by nearly 60 countries. Venezuela’s economy has collapsed. The country is plagued by hyperinflation, severe Rhoda Margesson shortages of food and medicine, and a dire humanitarian crisis that has further Specialist in International deteriorated as a result of gasoline shortages, COVID-19, and U.S. sanctions. Maduro Humanitarian Policy has blamed sanctions for the economic crisis, but many observers cite economic mismanagement and corruption as the main factors. U.N. agencies estimate 5.6 million Phillip Brown Venezuelans have fled the country as of April 2021. Specialist in Energy Policy U.S. Policy The U.S. government ceased recognizing Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president in January 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • FACT Sheet: How Rogue Nations & Sanctioned Groups Use
    FACT Sheet Updated: February 2019 How Rogue Nations & Sanctioned Groups Use Anonymous Companies Testimony, reports, and independent assessments all find that anonymous companies are a threat to global peace and security and undermine our ability to keep dangerous actors from accessing our financial system. Iranian Regime’s Use of Shell Companies to Advance Malign Activities “The Iranian regime has long used front and shell companies to exploit financial systems around the world to generate revenues and transfer funds in support of malign conduct, which includes support to terrorist groups, ballistic missile development, human rights abuses, support to the Syrian regime, and other destabilizing actions targeted by U.S. sanctions." Advisory, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) U.S. Department of the Treasury, October 1, 2018 Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran's Destructive Activities "The Islamic Republic regularly seeks to use deception and subterfuge to fund its illicit activities, threatening the integrity and security of the international financial system. The regime primarily uses shell companies and other types of seemingly legitimate entities to exploit vulnerabilities that enable it to access financing. Although prompted for years by the international community to adopt a more stringent regulatory framework, the Iranian regime has failed to implement necessary reforms to comply with anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism standards." Report, U.S. State Department, September 25, 2018 Beneficial Ownership: Fighting Illicit Commercial Networks Through Transparency • The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, or IRISL, a state-owned enterprise, has used a web of shell companies stretching across Europe and Asia to obscure the true ownership of its fleet by changing the country of registration and names of companies and owners in order to evade sanctions.
    [Show full text]
  • Venezuela: Background and U.S. Policy
    Venezuela: Background and U.S. Policy (name redacted) Specialist in Latin American Affairs May 10, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov R44841 Venezuela: Background and U.S. Policy Summary Venezuela is in the midst of an acute political, economic, and social crisis. Following the March 2013 death of populist President Hugo Chávez, acting President Nicolás Maduro of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) narrowly defeated Henrique Capriles of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) to be elected to a six-year term in April 2013. Four years later, President Maduro has less than 20% public approval and fissures have emerged within the PSUV about the means that he has used to maintain power, including a recent aborted attempt to have the Supreme Court dissolve the MUD-dominated legislature. Protests are escalating amid calls for the Maduro government to hold the regional elections that Maduro postponed last year rather than convene a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution, as he has proposed. Venezuela also is grappling with crippling economic and social challenges. It faces an increasingly unstable economic crisis, triggered by mismanagement and the global drop in oil prices. In 2016, the economy contracted by some 18% and inflation averaged 254%. In addition, massive shortages of food and medicine have caused a humanitarian crisis. The Maduro government is struggling to make debt payments and seeking loans from Russia, but economists maintain that Venezuela is at risk of default in 2017. International efforts to facilitate dialogue between President Maduro and the opposition have failed, due to the government’s intransigence.
    [Show full text]
  • Sessions to Analyse the Situation in Venezuela Facilitated by Luis
    Sessions to Analyse the Situation in Venezuela Facilitated by Luis Moreno Ocampo, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States for Crimes Against Humanity Summary of the Session of September 15, 2017 The first to testify at the hearings of September 15 was Captain Igor Eduardo Nieto Buitrago, a former member of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB). In his statement, Nieto described circumstances where he disagreed with the FANB authorities. The first occurred between 2003 and 2005, when Nieto was working under the unified command responsible for directing the operation Plan República in relation to the elections taking place in that period. He mentioned that polling places were closed earlier in areas where the opposition had a majority. When he brought his concerns to his supervisor, he told him that the matter was above his pay grade. In 2005, Nieto was transferred to the Venezuelan Military Industry Company (Compañía Anónima Venezolana de Industrias Militares, CAVIM). In his new role as CAVIM legal counsel, in July 2008, Nieto learned of activities that violated international treaties and the country's constitution. He explained that there was a plan to smuggle arms, rifles and ammunition to Bolivia and Uruguay. His commander, the general who was the CAVIM president, apparently also expressed his disagreement with the situation. The then-President, Hugo Chávez, ultimately ordered the president of CAVIM and his staff, which included Nieto, to be replaced. After he left CAVIM, the military opened a criminal investigation in 2011 against Nieto, the general, and other officers who registered their concern about the smuggling case.
    [Show full text]
  • Completa Com Letra Ampliada E Sangria
    V’ I H: , , C V A P"#$%&' F()(*'# - B*'+&# ( P",.&/$%&' U,&5(*+&)')( C'.:#&%' )( M&,'+ G(*'&+ - PUC/MG !BSTRACT Venezuela’s relations with Iran date back into the sixties when both were founding mem- bers of the OPEC. Iran’s influence in Latin America has become quite large since the Ira- nian revolution. Iran sees Latin America as a strategic priority for its global positioning. The Lebanese immigration towards South America has begun a while ago. But there’s a period, during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) when a large number of Lebanese immigrants came to the continent. Back then, according to some experts , Hezbollah and Iran took advantage of this mass migration and infiltrated their agents and recruiters among the Muslim migrants. Hezbollah is probably the most organized terrorist orga- nization in the World in respect to its illegal financing activities. The group funds its re- gular operations through all sorts of crimes. Hezbollah has a tight relationship with Iran. Ever since Iran has established its covert operations in Venezuela, Hezbollah has come along, as its proxy. Venezuela is submerged in crime and corruption. The Venezuelan go- vernment has been infiltrated by transnational organized crime for more than a decade. The convergence of corruption, crime, violence and terrorism in Venezuela was enabled by a set of conditions and circumstances that basically got entrenched after Chávez was inaugurated as president in 1999. From that time onwards, Venezuela became a source of political, financial and logistical support for Hezbollah within Latin America. Their relationship impacts the neighboring countries, particularly Brazil. K! : Venezuela.
    [Show full text]
  • The Collapse of Venezuela and Its Impact on the Region Dr
    People look for food in garbage dumped outside a looted supermarket 21 April 2017 in the El Valle neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, after demonstrations against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. (Photo by Ronaldo Schemidt, Agence France-Presse) The Collapse of Venezuela and Its Impact on the Region Dr. R. Evan Ellis n May 2017, as the number killed during pro- the United States and the region asked, “How much tests against the regime of Nicolás Maduro in longer could it go on?”1 In addition to the crisis Venezuela climbed toward 40, and with more within Venezuela, the collapse of its economy and the Ithan 130 injured and over 1,300 arrests, many in escalating criminal and political violence have also 22 July-August 2017 MILITARY REVIEW COLLAPSE OF VENEZUELA produced a massive outflow of refugees to neighboring corruption and mismanagement in government enter- Colombia and Brazil, to the nearby Caribbean islands prises, have progressively eliminated the capacity of the of Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, and Curaçao, and Venezuelan economy to produce even the most basic to other locales throughout the region. In total, an goods required by the people of the country to survive. estimated 1.5 million of Venezuela’s 32 million people Additionally, declining petroleum output, high produc- have left the country since the government of Hugo tion costs, debt service obligations, an accumulation Chávez came to power in 1999.2 Venezuela’s neighbors of adverse legal judgments from past expropriations, watch the unfolding drama not
    [Show full text]