Israel seeks to check Iranian inroads in South America

BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Israel is seeking to check Iranian diplomatic and trade advances in South America, a region where it has enjoyed sympathy and support since its founding, but a fuller picture of shifting alliances must also take into account recent advances by China and Russia, analysts said Thursday.

Israeli President Shimon Peres, on the last day of his tour of Argentina and Brazil, told a forum in Buenos Aires he expected both Iranian and Venezuelan regimes to collapse soon.

His comment reflected Israel's anger and frustration over deepening ties between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to visit Brazil and Venezuela, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has already dismissed Israeli concerns over the visit.

Israel is not taking any chances, however. Peres told his audience the people of Venezuela and Iran will make their leaders disappear before too long.

"They won't hold, not because any of us is going to kill them; their own people are getting tired of them," Peres said, MercoPress reported. "So if you want good relations with them, consider that they are passing passengers. It's a short-term relationship, so don't waste too much on them."

Peres spent a week in Brazil and Argentina as part of a diplomatic effort to counter perceived Iranian inroads into the continent through increased political and trade ties. Chavez visited Iran earlier in the year and played host to Ahmadinejad earlier.

Peres directed most of his ire at Chavez, who is battling an energy and water crisis at home. "I see the latest polls that show most of the people are dissatisfied with him," Peres said.

"If I could vote in the poll, I know exactly how I would vote. Because the problem is not just what Venezuela is doing for Chavez but what Chavez is doing for Venezuela: It's not a serious government."

Peres drew parallels between Chavez and Ahmadinejad. "There's something in common between Ahmadinejad and Chavez, oil makes them think a bit complicated," he said, gesturing to indicate he thought both leaders mentally unbalanced.

Despite Peres's pronouncements, which drew applause from his audience, analysts see a more complex picture emerging in Latin America, where not only Iran but also China and Russia are out to fill gaps left by U.S. absences.

The Russian Federation has formally opened its first embassy in Paraguay's 200 year history. Although the two countries have had diplomatic relations, these were managed from Buenos Aires.

Russian Ambassador Igor Ezhov said Paraguay was the only country in South America where Russia had no embassy, "and we are correcting this longstanding historic error," MercoPress reported.

Russia is hoping to boost its market in Paraguay through the sale of river transport vessels and helicopters. While Russia has targeted South America to boost its manufactured exports, including weapons, and technical expertise, China has reached into its deep pockets to reach out to Latin American countries to secure sources for its energy needs. China will invest $10 billion in Brazil's deep-sea exploration of development of oil fields, as part of its global strategy to secure sources for future oil needs.