The true extent of Iranian influence in Latin America is a rather obscure topic. This may change, as SOUTHCOM Admiral James Stavridis, however, addressed the Iranian connection in a Senate hearing;
"'We have seen... an increase in a wide level of activity by the Iranian government in this region,' Stavridis told the Senate Armed Services Committee. ...Stavridis said Hezbollah activities in South America have been concentrated particularly in the border region between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, but also in Colombia."
Diplomatic ties between Iran and left-leaning governments in the region, most prominently Hugo Chavez, also are on the rise. Journalists such as Douglas Farah, however, allege that this could be a cover for the movement of the Quds Force and Hezbollah. More information is needed about the nature of Iran's dealings in the region, as there is a paucity of information in general about the Middle East and Latin America beyond the Tri-border region. Otherwise there is little open-source means of assessing the accuracy of claims about Iran and Hezbollah's activities in the region.
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