Iran's president looks to Latin America as global sanctions grow
Deals could be in store next week as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Latin America.
Beef from Brazil is on Iranian dinner tables. An Iranian-built hospital treats patients near Bolivia's capital. Iranian-funded factories dot the Venezuelan countryside. Iran has forged hundreds of agreements with Latin American nations and pledged billions of dollars to fund them.
More deals could be in store this week as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embarks on a trip that starts in Venezuela on Sunday and includes stops in Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador.
Well before the Iranian leader's arrival in Caracas, his plans for a Latin America tour grabbed global attention as tensions grow between many Western powers and Iran over the nation's nuclear program.
"As the regime feels increasing pressure, it is desperate for friends and flailing around in interesting places to find new friends," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Friday.
But analysts say Ahmadinejad's visit is the latest step in a longstanding, calculated effort to shore up support in the region.
As Iran strives to improve its image, get around stiffening sanctions, dampen America's global influence and secure a stronger foothold in the United States' backyard, relationships with Latin American countries have become increasingly important.
Iran's state-run Press TV described cooperation with Latin American nations as one of the "top priorities of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy" in a recent article about this week's trip.
"Iran has an extremely active diplomatic move afoot," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington.
'Cultural ties'
Last month, a film portraying the life of Mary and the birth of Jesus from an Islamic point of view beamed out over international airwaves -- in Spanish.
The movie was the first program aired on HispanTV, according to a report in the Tehran Times.
And the target audience was thousands of miles away from the government-sponsored broadcasting hub in Iran's capital.
At a ceremony marking the station's official launch last month, HispanTV's managers said the new Spanish network aims to paint a true picture of Iran and link the Islamic republic with Latin America.
Other Spanish-language channels are "not independent and only serve the interest of the United States and certain allies," said Mohammed Sarafraz, director of Iranian broadcasting's world service, according to Press TV.
Deals could be in store next week as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Latin America.
Beef from Brazil is on Iranian dinner tables. An Iranian-built hospital treats patients near Bolivia's capital. Iranian-funded factories dot the Venezuelan countryside. Iran has forged hundreds of agreements with Latin American nations and pledged billions of dollars to fund them.
More deals could be in store this week as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embarks on a trip that starts in Venezuela on Sunday and includes stops in Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador.
Well before the Iranian leader's arrival in Caracas, his plans for a Latin America tour grabbed global attention as tensions grow between many Western powers and Iran over the nation's nuclear program.
"As the regime feels increasing pressure, it is desperate for friends and flailing around in interesting places to find new friends," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Friday.
But analysts say Ahmadinejad's visit is the latest step in a longstanding, calculated effort to shore up support in the region.
As Iran strives to improve its image, get around stiffening sanctions, dampen America's global influence and secure a stronger foothold in the United States' backyard, relationships with Latin American countries have become increasingly important.
Iran's state-run Press TV described cooperation with Latin American nations as one of the "top priorities of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy" in a recent article about this week's trip.
"Iran has an extremely active diplomatic move afoot," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington.
'Cultural ties'
Last month, a film portraying the life of Mary and the birth of Jesus from an Islamic point of view beamed out over international airwaves -- in Spanish.
The movie was the first program aired on HispanTV, according to a report in the Tehran Times.
And the target audience was thousands of miles away from the government-sponsored broadcasting hub in Iran's capital.
At a ceremony marking the station's official launch last month, HispanTV's managers said the new Spanish network aims to paint a true picture of Iran and link the Islamic republic with Latin America.
Other Spanish-language channels are "not independent and only serve the interest of the United States and certain allies," said Mohammed Sarafraz, director of Iranian broadcasting's world service, according to Press TV.