MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Iran’s Ahmadinejad begins Latam tour in Venezuela: meeting with Chavez

The Iranian president on his arrival at Caracas with a top delegation of ministers

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will welcome his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday on his first stop of a five-nation tour of Latin America, state media reported.

The Iranian leader arrived in Caracas on Sunday and is traveling with his ministers for foreign affairs, energy and economy, according to IRNA, Iran's official news agency.

Venezuela and Iran have become close allies and have found significant common ground: both are among the world's top crude oil exporters and their leaders are strongly united by a fierce opposition to what they view as U.S. imperialism.

The two nations have signed more than 270 accords, including trade deals, construction projects, car and tractor factories, energy initiatives and banking programs.

Chavez has also helped the Islamic republic forge relationships with other members of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas, an eight-nation regional bloc Chavez founded.

Still, not everyone in Venezuela is happy with Ahmadinejad's visit. Even before he arrived, the president's plans for a Latin America tour grabbed global attention as tensions grow between many Western powers and Iran over the nation's nuclear program.

Diego Arria, an opposition politician, described the trip as a “provocation” to the United States, and an embarrassment for Venezuela.

“It comes at the worst moment -- at a time when Ahmadinejad is being looked at by the international community with great fear. ... It's bringing the threat to the United States closer to home,” he said.

However the fact that Teheran is trying to establish closer relations with Latam is also seen as a sign of the growing isolation of the regime under growing pressure from the world’s leading powers that fear Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

The Iranian president is scheduled to visit Nicaragua, Ecuador, Guatemala and Cuba later this week as part of his five-day tour.

 

 

The Iranian president on his arrival at Caracas with a top delegation of ministers