Brazilian authorities consider labeling Hezbollah as a terrorist organization

Brazil is looking to become the latest South American country to designate the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah as an official terror entity, following on the heels of Paraguay, which announced on Monday that it had labeled Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist groups.

However, the proposal does not have unanimous support, three sources told Bloomberg in a report published on Monday, noting that it would be difficult to implement because of the nature of the Brazilian legal system.

The move is part of President Jair Bolsonaro’s push to realigned his countries foreign policy with the Trump administration and Israel.

Nevertheless, the move could damage relations with Iran, which imports $2.5 billion worth of goods per year. The government also worries that it could make the country a target for terrorism, according to the report. Iran is the principal backer of the Lebanese terror group.

The decision to call blacklist Hezbollah could be announced on an upcoming visit in October to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, both foes of Iran.

Last month, Argentina became the first Latin American country to label the Iran-backed group as a terror organization.

Hezbollah and Iran have been active in South America for decades, such as in the tri-border region between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. They also have close ties with Venezuela.

Source: JNS