bne IntelliNews – Iranian influx to Venezuela via Colombia triggers regional security fears [Video]

Iranian nationals bearing falsified passports, allegedly linked to Venezuela, have begun appearing in Colombia in significant numbers in recent weeks, triggering alarm among Latin American security officials and Western diplomats over Tehran’s expanding influence in the region.

The development coincides with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s contentious re-election celebrations on January 10, where Iranian flag-bearers featured prominently in state television coverage among Chavista supporters. Maduro paused his victory speech to acknowledge Iran, in what analysts view as a calculated display of deepening bilateral ties. He can be heard shouting “Long live the Islamic Republic of Iran,” bizarrely lumping it together with “Burkina Faso and Africa” in a geographical blunder broadcast live on state media.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, publicly endorsed Maduro’s presidency, pledging enhanced bilateral cooperation and expressing solidarity against what he termed “evil interventions and unilateral and illegal US sanctions.”

This aligns Iran with Russia, Cuba and Nicaragua, the main backers of Maduro globally, just as the Caracas …