The Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Carolina Tohástated that the background on the alleged presence of Hezbollah elements in Chilewhich his Argentine counterpart gave him today, Patricia Bullrich«they are general» and do not realize that there is any «imminent threat» to our country.
The case had caused new diplomatic tension between both neighboring nations last week, after Bullrich said on trans-Andean television that the Lebanese Shiite group – which is supported by Iran and considered terrorist in much of the West – has been detected in Iquique. .
The controversy was overcome after Bullrich apologized to Tohá by phone. And this Thursday, within the framework of the National Business Meeting (Enade) 2024 in Santiago, to which the trans-Andean secretary was invited, both met privately: Bullrich gave, in a «confidential manner», a report to Tohá on the matter. .
Upon leaving the conversation with his simile, Tohá stated that «The background that he told me is things that we know and that are quite general, they do not refer to imminent threats«.
However, he pointed out that «these are issues that we must always monitor and be preventive about,» and that is why it is ideal «to have a very fluid exchange of information with friendly countries.»
As the newspaper later revealed Clarion Argentina, the document stated: «Hezbollah’s activity can be identified in the Triple Border area between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, with a neural center in Ciudad del Este. This axis would have been rotating or at least diversified. Today the ‘triple Andean border’ made up of Chile, Peru and Bolivia; and the ‘triple maritime border’ composed of the Columbus points (Panama), Maicao (Colombia) and Fixed Point (Venezuela)».
Likewise, the 14-page report noted that there are «indications» that both Hezbollah and the Iranian regime, through their political-commercial «interference,» «have increased their capacity for action in different strategic points in Latin America» through «activities.» illicit».
BULLRICH TALKS ABOUT «MONEY LAUNDERING»
For its part, Bullrich said that elements of the Islamist group «are installed and launder money» in the region: «They use Brazil’s PCC, First Capital Command (a criminal organization), they use Argentine and Paraguayan organizations that carry out kidnappings, robberies or drug trafficking. And they buy and launder money.»
«They use these organizations as front organizations, while they appear as merchants, or as businessmen in the area,» he said in Santiago, although he did not publicly insist on the presence of Hezbollah in Chile.
VALLEJO: RARE FOR RESERVED INFORMATION TO APPEAR IN THE ARGENTINE ENVIRONMENT
Subsequently, from the Chilean Government, the spokesperson minister, Camila Vallejo, commented in 24 hours that «It is rare that reserved information ends up appearing in the media, But regardless of that, the important thing is that here the Minister of the Interior (Carolina Tohá) has been clear in pointing out that it is information that is already known and general.»
«There is nothing new and nothing that is a precedent to affirm that our country has any type of threat from the activity of Hezbollah or associated groups.«, he reiterated. «But for peace of mind, all this is always being monitored by the intelligence agencies and by the information that the police themselves at an international level provide,» he pointed out, remarking that «there is no new or additional element that would make this claim. fear that has set in.»
In the middle of this month, the Argentine Justice declared a «crime against humanity» the attack committed in 1994 against the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA), which left 85 dead and 300 injured and remains unpunished, and blamed the Iranian regime at that time. and Hezbollah.