https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14905/latin-america-hezbollah
“Transnational terrorism poses an immediate threat to us here in the Western Hemisphere. Although the perceived center of gravity seems far away, groups like ISIS, al-Qa’ida, and Lebanese Hizballah operate where they can find recruits, raise support, operate unchecked, and pursue their terrorist agendas.” — U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan; ministerial conference on counterterrorism, December 11, 2018.
[W]hen the Department of Justice (DOJ), on October 15, 2018, designated Hezbollah as one of the world’s top five transnational criminal organizations, many Latin American governments turned their attention to Hezbollah’s illicit networks.
Argentine President [Mauricio] Macri’s leadership and political will have succeeded in establishing tremendous momentum for other Latin American governments to think critically about Hezbollah, as evidenced in President Abdo’s recognition of the Lebanese terror group in Paraguay last month.
At this moment, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, and President Ivan Duque of Colombia, are working potentially to designate Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization.
Recent Hezbollah-related cases in Peru and Paraguay show that [Hezbollah’s] crime-terror actions in Latin America are far from over.
The counterterrorism conversation in Latin America is changing. On July 16, the Macri government of Argentina made history by becoming the first country in Latin America to officially designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Less than one month later, on August 9, the Paraguayan government followed suit and also officially recognized Hezbollah as a terror organization. Now, at least two other countries in the region are seriously considering issuing the same counterterrorism designation in the near future.