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Hizbullah Is in Venezuela to Stay

(Foreign Policy) Colin P. Clarke - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed in a recent interview that Hizbullah maintains "active cells" in Venezuela and that "Iranians are impacting the people of Venezuela," because Hizbullah is trained, financed, and equipped by Tehran. Margarita Island, located off the coast of Venezuela, is a well-known criminal hotbed where Hizbullah members have established a safe haven. Yet there's reason to doubt that replacing the current Venezuelan regime with Washington's preferred alternative would change the country's relationship with Hizbullah. Venezuela's border security and law enforcement officials, amid the country's general desperation, have been largely unwilling to resist bribes and kickback schemes offered by Hizbullah members and their cadres. A government led by opposition leader Juan Guaido would almost certainly be more active in opposing Hizbullah's presence on Venezuelan soil, but there is a major difference between will and capability. Venezuela serves as Iran's entry point into Latin America, a foothold the Iranians are unlikely to cede without putting up a fight. Moreover, Hizbullah has deep roots in Venezuela, and completely expelling the group remains unlikely. The writer is a senior fellow at The Soufan Center and an adjunct senior political scientist at Rand Corp.
2019-02-12 00:00:00
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