(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said today that links between Venezuela and Hezbollah are “extremely troubling and demonstrate the growing presence of extremist elements in the Western Hemisphere.” According to reports published today, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control asserts that the government of Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez has been providing money and refuge to members of Hezbollah, the militant Islamist group based out of southern Lebanon. Last week, Ros-Lehtinen visited the Lebanon-Israel border and discussed with Israeli leaders the spread of Islamist extremism and its threat to the U.S. and Israel. Statement of Ros-Lehtinen:

Reports that Hugo Chavez’s regime has been providing money and refuge to Hezbollah militants are extremely troubling and demonstrate the growing presence of Islamist extremist elements in the Western Hemisphere.

Chavez continues to strengthen ties and work intimately with these groups and their state-sponsors, including Iran’s radical regime.
 
Regrettably, this has still not convinced apologists for Chavez to stand steadfastly against such extremism and support the efforts of our democratic allies in the region to protect their people against those who seek to destabilize and threaten their nations. At great risk, the armed forces of Colombia last week freed three Americans and a former Colombian presidential candidate in a daring raid against the FARC rebels.  Yet, the Congressional leadership continues to delay a vote on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement-- legislation that would strengthen our critical regional ally.

The contrast between Colombia and Venezuela this past week has proven stark, and should serve as a pointed reminder that the United States should appreciate its true friends in the Hemisphere.

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