MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bullrich apologizes for remarks regarding Hezbollah's alleged presence in Chile

Bullrich told Tohá over the telephone that her comments had been made when analyzing the regional scenario and with no animosity toward Chile

Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font declared the diplomatic incident over after Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich apologized for saying that the terrorist organization Hezbollah was operating in the Chilean port of Iquique. “It seems to me that it is tremendously important that the authorities be responsible in their statements and affirmations,” said Boric.

“Argentina has suffered two attacks and is in an area where there is an active presence of two” terrorist forces, one directly linked to Tehran and the other -Hezbollah- a close ally of the Iranian regime, Bullrich argued. The official also claimed some of this organization's operatives had been spotted on the triple border of Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina, while others had “been seen lately in Iquique, in the north of Chile.” The minister also said two of these terrorists had been arrested last year in Sao Paulo and a few weeks ago, Hezbollah agents were detected in Peru.

In response, Chile's Interior and Security Minister Carolina Tohá demanded Bullrich hand over the information she allegedly had to be properly dealt with. In Tohá's view, Bullrich should not randomly give away that information “without proving anything at all.”

“We are going to defend Chile's integrity and it seems to me that it is tremendously important that the authorities are responsible in their statements and affirmations,” Boric also pointed out. “Chile does not protect any terrorist group, neither in its territory nor outside, and all those who commit criminal acts, illicit acts, in our territory are going to be persecuted, as we have demonstrated very clearly”, he added while announcing a diplomatic protest was to be filed because “I demand respect for our country.”

In Buenos Aires, the Argentine Government said Bullrich had apologized for her comments in a telephone call with Tohá, during which she argued that these statements had been issued “in the context of a regional analysis” with no intention of transmitting alarm or fear in Chile.

In subsequent postings on X, Boric said Bullrich's apologies had been accepted and therefore the diplomatic friction was “overcome.”