Iran’s Advances in Latin America

by Gabriel Andrade

F or more than two

decades, Iran has
expanded its in-
fluence in Latin America,
aided by the so-called
“pink tide”—the turn to the
radical political Left in the
region that began in the
1990s. And while the 2013
death of Venezuela’s Hugo
Chavez, the chief architect
of this movement,1 seemed Buenos Aires, July 2016. Participants at a forum on anti-Semitism
to have reversed this trend, in Latin America hold photos of the victims of the 1994 bombing of
after some initial set- the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina Jewish Center. Iranian-
backs, the leftist forces backed terrorists detonated the car bomb that murdered eighty-five
people.
have recuperated and
have made relevant come-
backs in key areas. Once again, Tehran has fresh opportunities to penetrate the
region with the ultimate goal of threatening U.S. security by challenging its
hegemony in its own backyard.

1 René Rojas, “The ebbing ‘pink tide’: An autopsy of left-wing regimes in Latin America,” New Labor Forum, Apr.
2017.

MIDDLE EAST QUARTERLY Fall 2020 Andrade: Iran and Latin America / 1
 Islamic Theocracy Mixed in Tehran as a political force with which it
with Anti-Semitism could work.
Iran rode through the gate flying an anti-
During the Cold War, Latin American
Semitic banner alongside its anti-American
revolutionary movements pursued a
one. And anti-Semitism is most virulent in
conventional Marxist approach with a strong
the one country that is home to Latin
anti-religious element. This was not only
America’s largest number of Jews: Argen-
directed at Catholic clerical elites (who were
tina. Whereas in World War II, most
widely perceived to be in league with con-
countries in the hemisphere declared war on
servative dictators) but at any form of
the Axis powers, Argentina’s president Juan
religious practice. In Cuba, for example,
Domingo Perón refused to do so, and a
grassroots Afro-Cuban religions (Santeria,
significant number of Nazis were warmly
Palo) were persecuted alongside Catholicism.
received there after the war.3
Religion, whatever the creed, was considered
During the 1970s, Argentina was ruled
the opiate of the masses. The Soviet Union’s
by right-wing military juntas that often
struggle with potentially secessionist Muslim
circulated anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
minorities further fed the narrative among
The most influential was formulated by one
Latin American revolutionary movements
Walter Beveraggi, who published a pamphlet
that religion was an obstacle to a proletarian
that, not unlike the notorious Protocols of the
revolution.
Elders of Zion, purported to detail the so-
Yet this began changing in the 1980s.
called Andina Plan. Allegedly, this was a
The endorsement of the Iranian revolution by
plot organized by Jews to seize the Patagonia
leftist figures such as French social theorist
region of Argentina and annex it to Israel.4
Michel Foucault heralded a transformation in
While Argentinean revolutionary
the Marxist approach to religion. Christianity
movements fought against the dictatorships
was still to be distrusted in Latin America,
and ultimately managed to restore
but Islam seemed potentially ripe for an
democracy, anti-Semitism continued to
alliance. Foucault’s lauding of the Islamic
spread across the country; and while this
revolution as “a great joust under traditional
anti-Semitism was originally fed by right-
emblems, those of the king and the saint, the
wing juntas, it subsequently became more
armed ruler and the destitute exile, the despot
prevalent on the Left under the old travesty
faced with the man who stands up bare-
that Jews control finances and exploit the
handed and is acclaimed by a people,”2
proletariat. As the Iranian regime intensified
aroused sympathies in the region. A regime
its anti-Semitic rhetoric in the ensuing years,
that called the United States “the Great
Satan” seemed to be a nice fit for movements
heavily invested in anti-Americanism. Under
the simple yet relentless logic that the enemy 3 Gaby Weber, La conexión alemana: el lavado del
of my enemy is my friend, the Latin Amer- dinero nazi en Argentina (Buenos Aires: Edhasa,
ican Left began to look to the Islamist regime 2005), pp. 55-6.
4 Ernesto Bohoslavsky, “Contra la Patagonia Judía. La
familia Eichmann y losnacionalistas Argentinos y
Chilenos frente al plan Andina (de 1960 a nuestros
2 Michel Foucault, “What are the Iranians dreaming días),” Cuadernos Judaicos, Center for Judaic
about?” Le Nouvel Observateur, Eng. ed., Oct. Studies of the University of Chile, Santiago de
16-22, 1978. Chile, Santiago, 25 (2008): 223-48.

MIDDLE EAST QUARTERLY Fall 2020 Andrade: Iran and Latin America / 2
the ideologies of the Latin
American Left and the Islamic
theocracy further converged.

What Iran Has

Accomplished
In 1994, Iranian-backed
terrorists detonated a car bomb
outside the Asociación Mutual
Israelita Argentina (AMIA)
Jewish center in Buenos Aires,
murdering eighty-five people. It
soon transpired that Tehran was
responsible, but no one has ever
been brought to trial. Despite
pressure from successive Argen- Aftermath of the bombing by Tehran’s Hezbollah proxy of the Israeli
tine governments, Iran refused to embassy in Buenos Aires, with twenty-nine murdered, March 1992.
cooperate or to extradite those As early as 1983, Iranian cleric Mohsen Rabbani trained disciples in
named by investigators. Argentina and helped establish Islamist cells.
When Néstor Kirchner was
elected president in 2004, he
envisioned a new strategy and
hoped to reach a deal with Tehran where officials would be exonerated in return for
Argentine investigators would be able to access to favorable oil deals.5
interrogate the suspects. He failed. Kirchner Nisman was scheduled to present
assigned the investigation to chief prosecutor evidence for his case in 2015 but died the
Alberto Nisman so that he could take the night before his planned appearance. His
case to Interpol. Nisman complied and, in body was found with a gunshot wound to the
2007, managed to place five Interpol red head. Having initially insisted that Nisman
notices on high-ranking Iranian officials who had committed suicide,6 Fernandez changed
had participated in the attack (red notices her story within days under a storm of public
direct law enforcement officers worldwide to pressure; she acknowledged that the chief
locate and arrest a person). Iran, however, prosecutor had indeed been murdered and
never agreed to having its officials
interrogated in Argentina.
Kirchner died in 2009 and was
succeeded in power by his wife Cristina 5 David M.K. Sheinin, “The Death of Alberto
Fernandez. In 2015, Nisman once again took Nisman, the Argentine Presidency Unhinged,
interest in the AMIA case and concluded that and the Secret History of Shared United States-
Fernandez herself may have colluded with Argentine Strategy in the Middle East,” Latin
the Iranians. He was determined to prove that American Studies Association Forum, Winter
2016, pp. 34-8.
she had proposed a deal in which Iranian
6 Dexter Filkins, “Death of a Prosecutor,” The New
Yorker, July 20, 2015.

MIDDLE EAST QUARTERLY Fall 2020 Andrade: Iran and Latin America / 3
claimed that she had in Arggentina and helped
been giv ven false in nfor- Powerful
P in
nterests wan nt to clear establissh cells andd pos-
mation by b her poliitical th
he Iranians involved in the AMIA sibly ttraining cammps in
adversariies.7 The mu urder bombing
b to facilitate trrade deals. the larrgely unconntrolled
has still not
n been sollved, tri-bordder area where
but pow werful interrests Brazil, Argentinaa, and
want to clear
c the Irannians Paraguuay convergge. Ac-
involved in the bomb bing in ordeer to facilitatte corrding to Josseph Humirre’s report “After
trade deaals. As Argen ntine congressman Julian n Nissman,” one of Rabbanni’s frequennt (and
Obligio and
a analyst Diego
D Naveiira explain, larggely successful) tacticss was the estab-
lishhment of haalal certificaation processses in
iff Iran can maanage to adju udicate the food indusstry that serrved as covver for
th
he Buenos Airres bombingss in its recrruiting jihaddis.10
faavor, absolviing itself of o all Iran’s influuence in the region acceelerated
reesponsibility and increasin ng its
withh the 1998 election off Hugo Chaavez as
nternational legitimacy as a result,
in
ann enhanced fiinancial relatio
onship pre sident of V Venezuela. Under the men-
beetween the twot countriess may torsship of Fidel Castro, Chhavez escalaated his
foollow.8 antii-U.S. agenda. Even m more influenntial in
Chaavez’s ideoological raadicalizationn was
While this was by no means the firsst Arggentine sociiologist Norrberto Ceressole, a
Iranian-related terrorrist attack in the region— — not orious Holoocaust denieer and anti-S Semitic
Tehran’s Hezbollah proxyp bombed the Israelli connspiracy theeorist.11 It w was Ceresolle who
embassy in Buenos Aires,A murdeering twenty y- firsst convincedd Chavez to align himself with
nine civilians, in Maarch 1992—aand while th he Irann’s expansioonism and thhe first to ppropose
threat of new terrorisst attacks rem mains, just as
a the creation off an Office of Strategicc Intel-
importan nt has been the aggresssive Iranian n ligeence to be finnanced by H Hezbollah.12
spread ofo jihadist Shiite
S ideollogy through h The projeect never ccame to be, but
centers established accross Latin America.
A Chaavez showeed some iinitial symppathies
The chief archittect of this endeavor
e haas towward jihadisst movemennts, regardless of
been Irranian clerric Mohsen Rabbanii, theiir sectarian affiliation. For exampple, he
implicateed as the mastermind
m of
o the AMIA A symmpathized w with the notoorious Veneezuelan
bombing 9
g. As early as 1983, lon ng before th he terrrorist Illichh Ramirez (aka Carloos the
bombing g, Rabbani actively
a trainned disciplees

10 JJoseph Humiree, “After Nismaan: How the deeath of a

7 CNN en español, Jan. 22,
2 2015. prosecutor reevealed Iran’s growing influuence in
8 Julian Obligio and Diego Naveiiro, “Rewritin the Americass,” Center for a Secure Free Society,
ng Washington, D.C., June 2016.
Histo
ory in Argentin
na,” in Joseph Humire
H and Ilaan
Bermman, eds., Irann’s Strategic Penetration of o 11 A
Alberto Garriddo, Mi amigo C Chávez: converrsaciones
Latin America (New w York: Lexin ngton, 2014), p.
p con Norbertoo Ceresole (Buuenos Aires: EEdiciones
84. del Autor, 20001), p. 145.
9 Matthew
w Levitt, “Iraniian and Hezbo
ollah Operationns 12 E
Ely Karmon, ““Hezbollah Am merica Latina: Strange
in So
outh America,” Prism, Dec. 16, 2015, pp p. Group or Real Threaat,” The Interrnational
119-3
33; The Times of Israel (Jerusalem), Jan. 10
0, Institute for Counter-Terroorism, Interdiscciplinary
2020. Center, Herzzliya, Nov. 20006.

MIDDLE EAST
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Jackal, who hid in
Sudan under Omar
Bashir’s tenure and
who ultimately con-
verted to Islam)13:
“[Ramirez] was, in
fact, a revolutionary
warrior; I support
him.”14
The 2005 rise of
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
as Iranian president
facilitated the coop-
eration between the two
countries, culminating
in more than two
hundred bilateral agree-
The rise of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left), here with
ments. Some financial Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in 2009, facilitated cooperation,
projects have enabled culminating in hundreds of bilateral agreements.
evasion of international
sanctions on Iran, the
most notorious project upon arrival.17 The real purpose of the
being the Banco Internacional de Desarrollo, weekly flight seems to be the importation
which operates beyond the reach of of military equipment to Venezuela.18 The
sanctions.15 Caracas regime also sent missile equipment
During Ahmadinejad’s tenure, direct to Iran’s allies in Syria that was later used by
flights between Caracas and Tehran were the Assad dictatorship to savage its op-
established.16 The flights stopped for a while ponents in the Syrian civil war.19
but later resumed and have raised suspicions In addition, the Pentagon has reported
among analysts. The route has no economic that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
viability whatsoever, and customs authorities (IRGC) has increased its presence in
in Caracas have not screened passengers

17 Kavon Hakimzadeh, “Iran and Venezuela: The

13 Brian A. Nelson, “The Education of Hugo
Chávez,” The Virginia Quarterly Review, Spring
2011, p. 175.
14 BBC Mundo, Nov. 9, 2011.
15 Leopoldo Colmenares, “Las relaciones entre Irán y
Venezuela: implicaciones para el gobierno
venezolano,” Programa de Cooperación en
Seguridad Regional, Bogota, July 2011, p. 1-10.
16 Joshua Kucera, “What is Hugo Chavez up to?” The
Wilson Quarterly, Spring 2011, pp. 22-30.
Axis of Annoyance,” Military Review (Ft.
Leavenworth), May-June 2009, p. 78.
18 Bradley Porter, “Altered Landscape or Arms Race?
Making Sense of Military Spending in South
America,” Western Hemisphere Security
Analysis Center, U.S. Southern Command and
The Applied Research Center at Florida
International University, Miami, Nov. 2010.
19 “Venezuela Aids Iranian Missile Sales to Syria,
Intelligence Agencies Say,” Nuclear Threat
Initiative, Washington, D.C., Dec. 22, 2008.

MIDDLE EAST QUARTERLY Fall 2020 Andrade: Iran and Latin America / 5
Venezuela.20 There are
also reports of Iranian-
backed indoctrination
camps (centers where
jihadist ideology and
propaganda are intro-
duced) near the Co-
lombian border. More
worryingly, Hezbollah
may have training camps
and active cells on the
island of Margarita,21
where large communities
of people of Lebanese
descent reside.
Chavez died of
Iranian tankers docking in Venezuela. Tehran rushed to save
cancer in 2013. During
Venezuela’s plummeting oil production during the COVID-19 pandemic
his illness, his health by sending oil tankers in defiance of Washington’s economic sanctions
status was kept secret. on both countries.
But it is plausible that
Iranian intelligence knew
about his condition and the so-called ALBA (Alianza Bolivariana
anticipated his early demise. Therefore, Para Los Pueblos De Nuestra America),
perhaps foreseeing that Chavez’s hand- which comprised Venezuela, Cuba,
picked successors might not be able to Nicaragua, and Bolivia with Iran in observer
remain in power, the Iranian regime moved status. This is the platform the Islamic
to expand its influence beyond Venezuela. Republic has used to extend its influence
Chavez had already facilitated this beyond Venezuela.
himself, having emerged as the undisputed Tehran took a special interest in Bolivia.
head of the radical Left in Latin America and It founded an ALBA regional defense school
the chief leader of the pink tide. And he used outside the city of Santa Cruz with Iranian
his influence to mediate the alliances Tehran advisors. Under the mentorship of Chavez,
had hoped to establish with other countries in President Evo Morales signed bilateral
the region, notably through the formation of agreements with Iran.22 Projects included
cultural exchanges (possibly a cover for
recruitment activities) and mining. This
turned out to be significant. Even as the
20 Emmanuel Karagiannis and Clark McCauley, “The
Obama administration was negotiating its
Emerging Red-Green Alliance: Where Political nuclear deal with Tehran, Bolivia was
Islam Meets the Radical Left,” Terrorism and
Political Violence, 2 (2013): 167-82. suspected of extracting uranium and
21 Christian Vianna de Azevedo, “Venezuela’s Toxic
Relations with Iran and Hezbollah: An Avenue
of Violence, Crime, Corruption and Ter-
rorism,” Revista Brasileira de Ciências 22 President of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Policiais, 1(2018): 43-90. statement, Tehran, Feb. 25, 2015.

MIDDLE EAST QUARTERLY Fall 2020 Andrade: Iran and Latin America / 6
deliverin
ng it to Iran n for  In 2011, a pur-
the acceeleration off its Tehran
T has a keen interrest in the ported massive cyber-
nuclear program.
p 23 region as a way to meeddle in attack against the United
Even ntually, this ex- Washington’s backyarrd and to States involved MMexican
pansion ini Latin Am merica prepare for
f future aattacks. hackerrs backedd by
moved beyond
b the mere
m Venezuuelan and IIranian
preparatioon phase and mats.28
diplom
into activ
ve attacks ag gainst
Americaan targets. Three in ncidents ar e None of theese attacks succeeded, buut they
noteworth hy: are signs thatt Iran’s innfluence in Latin
Ammerica has ggrown conssiderably ovver the
 In n 2007, an unsuccessfu ul attempt to lastt two decaades and that the IIslamic
bllow up fuel tanks undern neath John F.
F Reppublic has a keen interrest in the rregion,
Kennedy
K Inteernational Aiirport in New
w chieefly as a waay to meddle in Washinngton’s
Y 24 invo
York olved Abdu ul Kadir, a bacckyard and to prepare for future aattacks.
Guyanese
G man n under the mentorship
m of
o Whhile these eevents tookk place alm most a
Rabbani
R who recruited meembers of th he deccade ago, Iraan has repeaatedly indicaated its
Guyanese
G diasspora in Neww York.25 conntinued interest in tthe region with
 In n 2011, th he IRGC organized
o an
n Vennezuela connstituting thee most recennt axis
atttempt to assassinate the Saud di of eexpansion. TThus it was T Tehran that rushed
ammbassador to the United d States in a to save Veenezuela’s plummetingg oil
Washington,
W D.C. restau 26
urant. Thaat prooduction durring the CO OVID-19 panndemic
in
nvolved an undercover
u in
nformant withh (whhen the worrld largely ignored Maaduro’s
th
he U.S. Dru ug Enforcem ment Admin n- pleaas for helpp) by sending oil tankkers in
isstration (DEA A) who posed as a hitman n defi
fiance of W Washington’ss economic sanc-
prrovided by Mexico’s
M Loos Zetas drug tionns on both countries.29 U.S. secrettary of
caartel. The plot
p also included a plan n statte Mike Pom mpeo voicedd concern tthat, as
to
o bomb th he Israeli embassy in n part
rt of this operation, Irannian aircraftt trans-
Washington
W and
a possibly y a target inn ferrred support to the Madduro regimee while
Buenos
B Airess, but it neever came to assiistant secrettary of statee for Near EEastern
frruition.27 affaairs David Schenker said, “One could
imaagine them m sending other thinggs [to
Vennezuela]—I mean weapoons.”30
23 The Neew York Times,, May 25, 2009 9; Ely Karmonn,
“Iran Challenges the United States in Itts
Backyyard, in Latin America,” Am merican Foreig
gn
Wh
hat Lies A
Ahead
Policy
cy Interests, Occt. 2010, pp. 27
76-96. Chavez’s ddeath in 20113 seemed too mark
24 Levitt, “Iranian and Hezbollah
H Operrations in Soutth
the ebbing of thhe pink tide.. In Brazil, L
Lula de
Amerrica.” Silvva’s governnment show wed an interrest in
25 The New
w York Times, Dec. 15, 2010.
28 T
The Washingtoon Times, Dec. 13, 2011.
26 Ibid., Oct
O 11, 2011.
29 E
Extremism Wa
Watch, Voice oof America, M
May 31,
27 Joel Heernández, “Terrrorism, drug trafficking, an
nd 2020.
the globalization
g of supply,” Perspectives
P on
o
Terro
orism, 4 (2013)): 41-61. 30 R
Radio Free Eurrope-Radio Libberty, May 28, 2020.

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establishing closer tiees to througghout Boliviia and
Iran, butt his successsor, Tehran
T supp ports culturaal projects servess as a recrruiting
Dilma Rousseff,
R baccked thhat maintain n subversivve activities groundd for jiihadist
off fromm such arraange- in Latin American
A coountries. ideologgy.33
ments, despite herself It would seem m that
being a radical leftiist.31 the piink tide haas not
Roussefff was ultimaately compleetely recedeed, and
removed from officee, and a gov vernment faar therre are worrrying signs that it mayy surge
more tunned to U.S. interests heeaded by Jaiir agaain. Cristinaa Fernandezz has returnned to
Bolsonarro closed the door on Iranian n pow wer in Argenntina as vicee president, aand she
influencee. is oonce again insisting thhat Nismann com-
Iran also exp plored exp panding its mittted suicide and that Tehhran is not rrespon-
influence in Ecuaador under left-wing g siblle for the 1994 attacks.
strongmaan Rafael Correa. Hiis successo or Recently, there hass been lefft-wing
Lenin Moreno
M is so
omeone Wasshington can n agittation in Ecuuador, Colom mbia, and C
Chile. If
work witth, so Tehraan’s plans forfo expansion n thesse radicals rreach power in those couuntries,
in that country
c hav
ve been pu ut on hold.32 3 Irann could seizze the opporrtunity and aattempt
Likewisee, in the waake of masssive demon n- to establish neew operatinng centers ffor ter-
strationss as a resu ult of elecctoral fraud d, roriism. Colom mbia is parrticularly trooubling
Bolivia’ss Evo Moralles was forcced to resign n, beccause as a paart of peace nnegotiations,, rebels
and Iran consequentlly no longer has the sam me of the Revollutionary A Armed Forcces of
degree off influence thhere. Collombia (Fueerzas Armaddas Revolucionarias
Howwever, thesee changes do d not mean n de Colombia, FARC) werre given acccess to
Iranian in
nfluence is non longer acctive. Tehran n poliitical particippation. Repoorts have connfirmed
still operates thro ough proxy y networkss, thatt Hezbollah and FARC hhave cooperated in
includingg financial support for culturaal the past.34 If FA ARC politiciians move innto po-
projects that
t maintainn subversivee activities in
n sitioons of pow wer, Iran couuld cement its in-
those co ountries. Th hus, for example, th he flueence there.
prominen nt Shiite Islamist Robeerto Chamb bi Although IIranian intellligence anticcipated
Calle esstablished the
t Fundaciion Culturaal thatt, as a resullt of Chavezz’s death, it would
Bolivianaa Islamica with Iraniaan capital in n neeed to cater too other counntries in the rregion,
2007 and d organizes Islamist seeminars with h Vennezuela rem mains the huub of Iranian ex-
imams frrom neighbo oring countrries. Anotheer pannsionism in Latin Am merica. Desppite an
network founded by y Fayez Raajab Khedeeer ecoonomic collaapse that haas sparked m massive
Kannan ofo the Asociiación Cultural Bolivian na wavves of refuggees, the coountry’s strongman
Musulmaana dissemin nates Islamist messaging g Niccolás Madurro remains in power. O One of

31 Ilan Beerman, Iran’s Deadly

D Ambitio
on: The Islamiic 33 T
The World Alm manac of Islammism, 2019, A
American
Republic’s Quest fo or Global Pow
wer (New York k: Foreign Policy Council (N New York: Rowwan and
Encou unter, 2016), p.
p 225. Littlefield, 20019), p. 82.
32 Douglaas Farah, “Cuuba’s role in the Bolivariaan 34 V
Vanessa Neuman ann, “The New N Nexus of Narcotterrorism:
radicaal populist movement’s
m dismantling
d of
o Hezbollah andd Venezuela,” F Foreign Policy R
Research
demoocracy,” IBI Co
onsultants, Philla., 2018. Institute, Philaa., Dec. 3, 2011.

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his clossest ministters, terrorissts hoping too enter
Tareck ElE Aissami, is i of A 2012 U.S. law requ uires an the U United Stattes to
Lebanesee descent. He assessmentt of “Iran’s growing organizze attacks from
has been n indicted by y the presence and activityy in the within.40
U.S. go overnment on Westerrn Hemisph here.” W
Washington haas reck-
drug ch harges,35 haaving oned wwith these threeats but
long beeen thought to o be not suffficiently. Hoowever,
an impo ortant figuree in in 20122, Congress passed
the Los Soles drug cartel, an organization n the Counteringg Iran in thhe Western Hemi-
that maay have worked w cllosely with h sphhere Act spoonsored by Rep. Jeff D Duncan
Hezbollaah.36 (Reepublican off South Caarolina). Thhis law
Thesse connectiions cannott be underr- com mpels the U U.S. governnment to ddevelop
estimated d. In 2013, it was repo orted that thhe straategic respoonses to Iraanian activitties in
Venezuelan embassy y in Baghdad had been n Lattin Americaan countries and to draaft “an
issuing passports
p o terrorists for a price
to asseessment of tthe threats pposed to the United
since 200 07,37 at a timme when Iraaq was firmly y Staates by Iraan’s growinng presencce and
under thee control of the
t U.S.-led internationaal actiivity in thhe Westernn Hemisph ere.”41
coalition. This likely y continues to this day y. Acccording to Duncan, thhese mandattes are
Given Irran’s firmly established influence in n neccessary to rreduce Irann’s “capabi lity to
Iraq, therre are strong g suspicions that Iranianns direect or suppoort terrorist aactivity in ouur own
may havee been amon ng the recipiients of those hem misphere.”42
passportss and may haveh used th
hem as a way y Following the Obama administrration’s
to move Tehran’s sphere s of in
nfluence into o 20115 nuclear deal withh Iran, the State
territories that are closer
c geogrraphically too Deppartment doownplayed T Tehran’s prresence
the Uniteed States. 38 in LLatin Ameriica. The Truump adminisstration
In 20017, caravan ns originating
g in Honduraas thenn showed m much more concern aboout the
may havee included miilitants hopin ng to enter th
he dannger posed bby the Islam mic Republiic, and
United Sttates. Vice President
P Mike Pence an n- the January 2020 killling of Q Qassem
nounced that Madu uro was fiinancing th he Solleimani maay present a renewed op-
caravan399 while Prresident Tru ump warned d porrtunity to coonfront Irannian expansiionism.
there may
m have beenb crimin nals in the Yett so far, eveen this adm ministration hhas not
caravan’’s ranks but b gave no furtheer suff
fficiently reccognized thaat the expanssion of
specificaations as to who they were. Given n Irannian power goes well bbeyond the M Middle
the Venezuelan reg gime’s ties to Iran and d Easst all the waay into Latinn America. H Halting
Hezbollaah, there maay be reason to suspecct it reequires the eengagement of Latin Am merica’s
that thee caravan might hav ve included d poliitical actors aand potentiall U.S. allies w
without
alieenating them.

35 France 24 TV (Paris), Aug. 3, 2019. 40 X

Xinhua News A
Agency (Beijinng), Jan. 10, 20020.
36 Al-Arab
biya News Chaannel (Dubai), Apr. 27, 2020. 41 P
Public Law 1122-220, 112th C
Congress, Washington,
37 CNN, Feb.
F 14, 2017. D.C., Dec. 288, 2012.
38 The Mia 42 JJeff Duncan, ““An ‘invisiblee’ Iran in the WWestern
ami Herald, Ap
pr. 17, 2017.
hemisphere: America’s straategic blind sppot,” The
39 The Wa
ashington Timees, Oct. 23, 201
18. Hill (Washinngton, D.C.), O
Oct. 21, 2014.

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 Anti-Americanism (frequently attached
to anti-Semitism) fuels much of the Iranian
influence in the region. President Trump’s
remarks about Hispanic immigrants
contribute significantly to anti-U.S. views in
the region and feed Iran’s narrative. Given
that Tehran has been moderately successful
at winning some hearts and minds in the
region, Washington needs to do better. It
must increase its soft power through trade
agreements, cultural exchanges, and
educational initiatives so as to reclaim
MIDDLE EAST QUARTERLY Fall 2020
cultural influence in a zone that, since it
promulgated the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, it
has considered to be its sphere of influence.
Gabriel Andrade is an assistant
professor at Ajman University,
United Arab Emirates. He is the
author of books and articles on
psychology, philosophy, and
sociology. He is a frequent
collaborator to Merion West.
Andrade: Iran and Latin America / 10