In a move meant to please Trump, Macri labels Hezbollah as a terrorist organization
The announcement came days before the arrival of Mike Pompeo to Argentina. The intention is to push Brazil and Paraguay to join in the declaration.

 The President of Argentina Mauricio Macri made a strong geopolitical move this Wednesday by declaring the Shiite group Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The decision is in line with the wishes of the United States and Israel, which are now seeking to the support of Paraguay and Brazil to put pressure on the presumed cells of the Lebanese organization in the region.

It is a gesture to Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, who had been asking Macri to advance against the group accused of the terrorist attack on AMIA - the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina - back in 1994, and suspected of having cells in the Triple Frontier of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The decision comes on the 25th anniversary of the attack, and just before the arrival of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who will be visiting Argentina to participate in a congress on terrorism.

The declaration against Hezbollah is a very sensitive step. In recent weeks Macri has been in permanent contact with local and international intelligence sectors to asses the risk of possible retaliation.

According to sources consulted by LPO, the leaders of the United States and Israel promised Macri strong economic support (which Trump already showed with his full support in the IMF) if he is re-elected in exchange for alignment on geopolitical matters. The first step was to advance against Hezbollah and to hinder their alleged contacts in the border with Brazil and Paraguay.

The idea of  the United States and Israel is to put pressure on presidents Jair Bolsonaro and Mario Abdo to follow in the footsteps of Macri, who Trump revalidates as his favored leader in the region. Trump seeks political support in his crusade against Iran, the main political and economic ally of Hezbollah.

The sources indicate that Bolsonaro could follow Macri, although in his case he has a more complex internal scenario since the Brazilian intelligence services are historically more reluctant to adopt the US position regarding the conflict in the Middle East.

In a move meant to please Trump, Macri labels Hezbollah as a terrorist organization

Declaring Hezbollah as a terrorist group is a measure pushed particularly by Israel (where there was euphoria over Macri's decision) and aims to politically isolate the group, but especially in economic terms as it intends to block the bank accounts that provide them with funds from outside Lebanon.

This is the reason why the Triple Frontier is key. For years, it has been suspected that Hezbollah cells operate in the region. Adding Brazil and Paraguay, in Israel it is believed that the possibility of financing from the hottest spot in South America would be blocked.

Macri's legal move

The government of Argentina formalized this Wednesday through a decree the creation of the "Public Registry of Persons or Entities Linked to Acts of Terrorism and its Financing (RePET)", the instrument that will allow them to label Hezbollah a terrorist group.

Decree 489/2019 modifies a norm of June 2012 and establishes the creation of that registry, since, until now, Argentina was ruled by the list published by the Security Council of the United Nations, in which Hezbollah does not appear. However, the Argentinean judicial accuses the group of the attacks against the headquarters of the AMIA in 1994 and the Embassy of Israel in 1992.

Although the decree does not directly mention the Lebanese organization, it is understood because a section establishes it. This section indicates that the "freezing of the assets of the human person, legal entity or entity" will be carried out on which the Financial Information Unit (FIU) has established the administrative asset freeze.

The RePET will operate within the Ministry of Justice and will seek to "provide access and exchange of information on persons, legal entities and entities related to acts of terrorism and/or their financing, and facilitate domestic and international cooperation to prevent, combat and eradicate terrorism and its financing. " 

Publicar un comentario
Para enviar su comentario debe confirmar que ha leido y aceptado el reglamento de terminos y condiciones de LPO
Comentarios
Los comentarios publicados son de exclusiva responsabilidad de sus autores y las consecuencias derivadas de ellas pueden ser pasibles de las sanciones legales que correspondan. Aquel usuario que incluya en sus mensajes algun comentario violatorio del reglamento de terminos y condiciones será eliminado e inhabilitado para volver a comentar.
Más de English

The Centrao has already won‎

Por Marco Bastos
The Centrão is the bloc of conservative parties that has dominated Brazilian politics since the return to democracy in 1989. That bloc has been the hinge of the Brazilian political system, supporting all the Presidents of the young Brazilian democracy - both those on the left and on the right.‎
The LIBRE Initiative Believes Latinos will Define the Future of US Politics

The LIBRE Initiative Believes Latinos will Define the Future of US Politics

Por Lila Abed (Washington DC)
"I think that Governor DeSantis and Senator Marco Rubio will be reelected in 2022,", says Director of Public Affairs at The LIBRE Initiative, César Grajales.
Democrats should 'tell authentic stories' to reach Latinos, says former Bernie Sanders advisor

Democrats should 'tell authentic stories' to reach Latinos, says former Bernie Sanders advisor

Por B. Debusmann (Washington DC)
Junelle Cavero Harnal, a former advisor to Bernie Sanders and Head of Political at H Code, believes that an effort to explain why policies matter to Latino households will help the Democrats gain their support in upcoming elections.
"Latinos were undercounted in the Census," says expert.

"Latinos were undercounted in the Census," says expert.

Por Lila Abed (Washington DC)
"The Arizona legislature is trying to suppress the Latino vote because they see the trends that Latinos continue to gain more numbers and therefore more political clout," Joseph Garcia, Director of Public Affairs and International Relations at Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) .
Time to end 'dynastic politics' in the Bronx, council candidate says

Time to end 'dynastic politics' in the Bronx, council candidate says

Por B. Debusmann (Washington DC)
Marcos Sierra says that ending political dynasties from affluent areas of the borough will help attract new Latino and African American voters.
Meet Baltimore's first - and only - Latina city councilperson

Meet Baltimore's first - and only - Latina city councilperson

Por B. Debusmann (Washington DC)
Councilwoman Odette Ramos believes that the city's growing Latino population will become increasingly active in local politics.