Iranian President Eyes Stronger Ties With Latin America

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

President Ahmadinejad of Iran, facing U.S. pressure over his nuclear ambitions, traveled to Latin America yesterday to strengthen ties with two of President Bush’s harshest critics in the region.

Mr. Ahmadinejad signed accords valued as much as $1 billion over five years with President Morales of Bolivia to promote investments in energy, mining, and rural development before departing for Venezuela, where he will discuss petrochemical projects with President Chavez, Bolivian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Consuelo Ponce said.

“Establishing a presence at the U.S.’s backdoor is convenient for Iran,” said Christopher Garman, Latin America director at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting company in New York. “I see this more as politically driven than as something that will generate substantive economic ties.”

With the U.S. pushing for stronger sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program, Mr. Ahmadinejad has improved relations with Latin American nations critical of the U.S., visiting Venezuela and Nicaragua and sitting on the stage at the inauguration of President Correa of Ecuador in January.

Mr. Ahmadinejad said he felt “at home and among my brothers” in Bolivia and that his visit was the start of broader relations between the two countries, Iran’s official news agency reported.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use