U.S. Congressmen want to designate Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism

October 29, 11:48 AMSouth America Policy ExaminerSylvia Longmire

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Rep (R-FL) Connie Mack (AP Photo)

Two South Florida congressmen introduced a resolution yesterday to officially designate Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism.

According to the News Sun-Sentinel, Ron Klein, a Democrat from Boca Raton, and Connie Mack, a Republican from Fort Myers, cited Venezuela’s alleged ties to the FARC, an terrorist group in Colombia, and Hizballah, a Middle Eastern terrorist group sponsored by the Iran government and based in Lebanon.

"The evidence linking Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez to the FARC and Hezbollah – two of the most dangerous terrorist organizations, responsible for many bombings, kidnappings, killings and drug trafficking – is overwhelming," Mack said in a statement announcing the resolution.

The Venezuelan government has strong economic ties to three of the four countries currently on the state sponsor list—Cuba, Iran, and Syria.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has publicly expressed an affinity for the FARC’s ideology, but has repeatedly denied providing any financial or materiel support to the organization.

Over the last several years, evidence has mounted against the Venezuelan government indicating some level of tacit support. This includes weapons found in FARC caches in Colombia that have been traced back to Venezuelan military stocks, and documents seized in a recent FARC camp raid in Ecuador that implicate the Venezuelan government in FARC financing and joint training.

Chávez has also been accused of knowingly harboring members of Hizballah on Margarita Island off Venezuela’s coast, where the terrorist group raises money through several illicit means.

Mack and Klein believe the designation will stabilize the region. It could also pave the way for future economic sanctions against Venezuela, and will likely discourage travel and tourism to the country to some extent.

While press reports did not say what level of congressional support the resolution might garner, economic realities may pose a significant obstacle to its passage.

The U.S. currently imports approximately 11 percent of its crude oil from Venezuela. Those imports account for roughly half of Venezuela’s oil export income. Any sanctions arising from the designation would have some negative impact on the U.S. economy—still struggling with the global economic downturn—and an even more serious impact on the Venezuelan economy, which is also struggling.

Chávez has threatened to cut off oil exports to the U.S. many times before, and is aggressively exploring other options in Asia and the Middle East for oil exports. However, oil refining capacity for Venezuela’s brand of sour, heavy crude is limited, and much of it is in the U.S.

Designating Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism may also have negative diplomatic repercussions for a U.S. administration that is trying to mend fences with many Latin American leaders.

Despite the likelihood that H.R. 872—which has been referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee for consideration—will not pass, the Venezuelan government’s relationships with Colombian guerrillas and Middle Eastern militants will continue to draw criticism and continued close observation.

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