Latin America once again finds itself the object of heightened attention as global powers compete for strategic influence on its turf. This week brought several raised eyebrows as Israel's President Shimon Peres visited Brazil before continuing on to Argentina, the first meetingbetween South Americaand an Israeli head of state in 43 years, despite a significant Jewish population on the continent. His main purpose appeared to be one of caution as it pertains to the growing regional influence of Iran and Hezbollah. "I can't ignore the fact that [Iran's] government is developing nuclear weapons and wants to destroy Israel," Peres said.
ReceivingIsrael's leaderwas Lula da Silva, Brazil's President, who happens to be preparing to receive Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a mere ten days. Lula da Silva justified hosting two sworn enemies by pitching Iran's visit as a chance to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"You don't build the necessary peace in the Middle East if you don't talk to all the political and religious forces that both want peace and are opposed to peace," he said.
Meanwhile, Nicaragua's rumor mill was fired up Tuesday with the news of a big mosquerecently materializing in a residential neighborhoodjust outsideManagua. Nicaraguan officials identify Iran as the likely funder, a hypothesis justified both by the revolutionary kinship between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Nicaragua's leftist leader, Daniel Ortega, as well as Ahmadinejad's promise in 2007 and 2008 to invest up to $1 billion in the impoverished country.
So, despite Ahmadinejad's unusually conciliatory speech on Wednesday calling for international cooperation on nuclear technology, Iran continues to face a wary world. Indeed, in the U.S. specifically, any and all assets linked to Iran are currently being targeted, with U.S. federal prosecutors taking steps yesterday to seize those assets belonging to the Alavi Foundation in New York City, a "nonprofit" alleged to be a front for the Iranian government.
