Israel warns that Maduro's regime is the "nexus" of Hezbollah and Hamas in South America

The foreign minister of Israel, Gideon Saar, warned Monday that Nicolás Maduro has become a key point for the expansion of networks linked to Islamist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen's Houthis. The statement, made during a speech to Paraguay's Congress, underscores growing concerns about the presence of extremist actors in South America.

Saar asserted that criminal organizations in the region are forming narcoterrorism allianceswith Middle Eastern movements and placed Venezuela as the central "nexus" of these connections. According to the foreign minister, the humanitarian crisis generated by Maduro's management and his public backing of the so-called "axis of resistance" have created a favorable environment for operations by Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed structures.

Expansion of the phenomenon and regional warnings

During his intervention, Saar identified Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen as "terrorist states", noting that armed groups integrated into their state structures operate beyond their borders and maintain cooperation networks in other continents, including Latin America.

The warnings come at a time when several governments in the region have stepped up monitoring of irregular activities linked to Middle East organizations, especially given the risk of corridors used to finance, move or support extremist groups.