Venezuela and Iran have consolidated a strategic alliance that dates back more than two decades to counteract their international isolation due to their human rights violations and anti-democratic activities, an April 23 report of Italy-based Center for the Study of Geopolitics and International Relations (CEGRI) indicated. More than a bilateral relationship, this alliance has a geopolitical impact in the entire Latin American region.
Since 1947, oil has been a fundamental factor in the relations between Caracas and Tehran. Venezuela played a central role in the creation of OPEC in 1960. In the new millennium, the regimes of Hugo Chávez and its Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad strengthened ties, sharing anti-imperialist and anti-U.S. stances, resulting in almost 300 cooperation agreements in various sectors, the report indicated.
The death of Chávez in 2013 and the 2015 Nuclear Agreement initially affected Venezuela-Iran relations, but they have regained strength in recent years, CEGRI indicated, highlighting the shipment of Iranian oil tankers to Venezuela in 2020 and the signing of a 20-year cooperation agreement in 2022.
The relationship between Caracas and Tehran is based on their international isolation, with Iran facing this situation since 1979, exacerbated by the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran; and Venezuela challenging the global system under Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. Both countries face international sanctions, reinforcing their marginal position, the report indicated.
“This bilateral relationship does not lie in economic, commercial, scientific, or survival benefits, but in the struggle against the West,” Euclides Tapia, professor of International Relations at the University of Panama, told Diálogo on May 15. “This explains why relations with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia are deeper than with other countries such as Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil.”
Strategic cooperation
This partnership also helps strengthen control of the Maduro regime in Venezuela, the Asia Times reported. The Iranian regime invests in supporting Maduro, as evidenced by the agreement signed in 2022, for the repair of the El Palito refinery and the restoration of the site in Paraguaná, according to CEGRI.
Despite this, Venezuela’s state-owned oil and gas company (PDVSA) continues to receive condensate from its Iranian partners, Asia Times reported. On the other hand, Tehran expanded its presence in Latin America from five to 11 embassies since the early 2000s. It also established more than 80 Iranian-funded Islamic cultural centers throughout the region, and operates Hispan TV from Caracas, broadcasting Iranian propaganda, CEGRI said.
Meanwhile Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy, extends its presence in Venezuela, where it engages in illegal activities such as money laundering, narcotrafficking, and contraband throughout the region. Venezuela provides security for Hezbollah members, while the terrorist group also has a presence in Bolivia and Nicaragua, nongovernmental organization Transparencia Venezuela indicated.
Hezbollah has an extensive network in Latin America, from Mexico to Chile, with operations in countries such as Guatemala and Costa Rica. However, its main operational centers are in the border area between Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela, as well as in the Triple Border between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, German news broadcast DW reported.
“The relationship between Tehran and Caracas is highly dangerous,” Tapia said. “Iran operates in the shadows, often through intermediaries who act as followers of its armed groups; Venezuela has become a key player in this game at the continental level, which increases the danger.”
Bolivia case
Maduro’s policy has helped Iran expand its influence into other states. In March, Bolivia and Iran strengthened their bilateral relations as well as strategic cooperation in health, education, agriculture, and telecommunications, among other sectors, Argentine news site Infobae reported. This is in addition to the memorandum of understanding signed in July 2023 to expand cooperation in security and defense, including border assistance and migration control, a risk for the continent.
The agreement included the transfer of drones for border surveillance, similar to what already occurs in Venezuela. They also agreed on military training, with the presence of Iranian instructors in the military “Anti-Imperialist School” that Evo Morales created, which is still active and has Cuban and Venezuelan collaborators.
In mid-April, following Iran’s attack against Israel, Argentina strengthened security on its borders and at various points of the Jewish community. In an interview with a local media, Argentina’s Security Minister Patricia Bullrich expressed her concern about the presence of some 700 Iranians in Bolivia, which she said, “could be members of the Quds Guard, an armed wing of the Iranian Islamic State.”
“This represents a high level of danger not only for Argentina, but also for neighboring countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, and Brazil,” Tapia said. “This is worrying news, given that these types of organizations operate in Bolivia. This suggests that Bolivia has fallen into Iran’s grip and could become its stronghold.”
Red alert
According to Tapia, this could be part of Iran’s strategic operations against the West.
“Paying more attention to what is happening in Latin America would secure the political future of the countries,” Tapia concluded. “If Maduro remains in power, the relationship between Venezuela and Iran will deepen even more. Therefore, Latin America will have to recognize the Maduro dictatorship not only as an enemy for the hemisphere, but also as a threat to democracies, due to the growing Iranian presence.”
