The crisis in Venezuela can put an end to Hezbollah's presence in this Caribbean country

While the political and humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Venezuela, badysts say the illegal activities of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the South American country could be affected.

Since the beginning of the crisis in January, many observers have questioned the future of the Lebanese militant group and its activities in Venezuela, particularly with the strengthening of the sanctions of the United States against the Venezuelan regime.

For years, the beleaguered president's government Nicolas Maduro It has close ties with Hezbollah and its benefactor, Iran, which has strengthened Hezbollah financially, badysts said.

US officials have warned of the growing presence of Hezbollah in Venezuela and other regions of Latin America.

"People do not recognize that Hezbollah has active cells, the Iranians affect the people of Venezuela and all of South America," said the US secretary of state. UU., Mike Pompeo, in a recent interview with Fox Business Network.

"We have an obligation to reduce this risk for the United States," he said.

Sanctions of the United States

Hezbollah, which is on the list of terrorist organizations in the United States, is increasingly being sanctioned by the United States in recent months.

In October 2018, the The Ministry of Justice has ranked Hezbollah among the five largest transnational criminal organizations in Latin America.

In order to intensify their efforts to prevent Hezbollah's illicit activities in the Western Hemisphere, the United States organized a conference last December. Senior officials from 13 American partners in the Americas attended the meeting and discussed the threats posed by transnational terrorist groups.

According to badysts, recent US sanctions against several Hezbollah figures could have a negative impact on the group's financial operations in Venezuela and elsewhere in Latin America.

Hezbollah financiers "integrated into the government [venezolano] in different ways "he said Phillip Smyth, researcher at Washington's Near East Policy Institute. "Everyone has a kind of cutoff of the device.

"Then, I would not be surprised if there are repercussions on Hezbollah's financial network." The US Treasury did this by attacking some people who are somehow Hezbollah 's essential money agents. which has its effect, "he said VOA.

Analysts said the Venezuelan government's relationship with Hezbollah is mainly focused on a strategic partnership between Venezuela and Iran, which offers Hezbollah members, facilitators, financiers and repairers the opportunity to move secretly people, money and equipment.

The convergence of Hezbollah networks in Venezuela has created an environment that allows the Shiite group to send large sums of money into illicit revenues, by using gold refineries in the Middle East and financial centers in Central America and the United States. South and the Caribbean, according to the Center. for Free and secure society, a research organization based in Washington who conducted a thorough investigation of Hezbollah's activities in Latin America.

Some experts believe that Hezbollah has established a large network of mainly Syro-Venezuelans who facilitate the movement of members of the group in the Middle East and Latin America.

"Hezbollah already helps Maduro through a trans-regional network established between Lebanon, Syria and Venezuela"he said Joseph Humire, Executive Director of Center for a free and secure society.

"The main reason why Hezbollah supports the Maduro regime is the same reason why it protects the government from Bashar al-Assad in Syria: protecting the logistics network that Iran needs to export its revolution, "he told VOA.

Since the beginning of the civil war in Syria in 2011, Iran and Hezbollah have played an important role in defending the Syrian president against rebel forces.

"In the case of Syria, it is by a land bridge in Lebanon and in the case of Venezuela, it is the air bridge to Latin America"Humor added.

Smyth from Washington Institute He echoed a similar badysis of relations between Venezuela and Hezbollah.

"If we observe some representatives that Venezuela has badigned to the Middle East as diplomats, many of them are Hezbollah supporters and are linked in different ways to Hezbollah networks," Smith said.

The role of Hugo Chávez.

Hezbollah's activities in Venezuela flourished during the mandate of the former president Hugo Chavez, died in 2013 and replaced by Maduro.

"The presence of Hezbollah increased during the time of the former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who opened the doors to Iranian and Lebanese companies and facilitated their trade in Venezuela through a consolidated friendship that he developed with Chávez, "said a journalist working for Latin America at VOA. anonymity for security reasons.

He added that during those years, many multi-million dollar trading companies were created.

"Lebanese businessmen are working with Hezbollah because it is a lucrative business, but some are doing it because their business interests in Lebanon could be threatened if they refused to cooperate with Hezbollah at the time. Venezuela, "added the Iranian journalist.

Despite growing pressure on the Maduro regime, some badysts say it is unlikely that relations with Hezbollah will be broken.

"Ideologically speaking, [Maduro] He has been involved in groups such as Hezbollah and Iranians. They have the same motivations, which are not American"said the badyst Smyth.

"These are the allies who have [funcionarios del gobierno venezolano]. I seriously doubt that they would cut [a estos aliados] as a signal in the United States (…) I think that they are in this eternity, "he added.

By Sirwan Kajjo and Mehdi Jedinia / Voice of America News