The Latin American Jewish Congress is holding a series of virtual conferences this month on the continued threat of terrorism in the region, ahead of the upcoming anniversary of the 1994 Hezbollah-perpetrated bombing attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) building, which claimed the lives of 85 people and wounded hundreds more.
Twenty-six years following the horrific bombing, none of the attackers, nor the masterminds in Iran, has yet to be brought to justice.
More than 1,000 people were in attendance at the first installment of the conferences, which focused on the current state of Hezbollah’s presence in Latin America and included remarks by two international experts on the matter.
Executive Director of the Latin American Jewish Congress Claudio Epelman noted the LAJC’s fervent commitment to ensuring that this conference be held, on the eve of the anniversary of the AMIA bombing, despite the challenges presented by the coronavirus outbreak. "Each year, the Latin American Jewish Congress makes the claim for justice for the victims of AMIA....This year will not be the exception,” he said.
Ely Karmon, a principal investigator at the Israel Anti-Terrorism Institute, underscored in his remarks that Hezbollah continues to pose a threat to Latin America, referring to the terrorist group as a “contractor to the Iranian regime.” He added that the Iranian regime is the “world's leading proponent of terrorism” and has political and ideological incentives to exert influence in Latin America.
The conference also featured remarks from Emanuele Ottolenghi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert on Iran’s history of sanction evasion. Ottolenghi warned that "Hezbollah's presence in Latin America is stronger now than in the 90s,” and that the group has support from collaborators and sympathizers throughout the region.
The LAJC conferences will continue through mid-July, as the community prepares to mark the 26th anniversary of the bombing on 18 July.
