By Marisela Luzardo | 2024-10-14

CARACAS -- The Iranian regime has ramped up its efforts to expand its influence in Latin America over the past decade, operating quietly yet methodically.

Iran has sought to forge alliances in Latin America with countries that share its anti-Western rhetoric and vision for an alternative global order, according to a study published by the Political Dialogue platform in late May.

This approach formerly did not consume Iranian foreign policy. However, with the rise of leaders in the late 1990s like Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Iran found an opportunity to form strategic alliances in the region.

The relationship between Iran and Venezuela, initially rooted in their shared involvement in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has strengthened over the years, particularly in response to the economic sanctions imposed on both nations.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's leader from 2005 to 2013, was pivotal in deepening ties with Venezuela and expanding Iran's influence across other countries in the region.

The Political Dialogue report emphasized that Latin America, previously unfamiliar to the Iranian public and vice versa, emerged as a promising region for Iran to cultivate alliances opposing Western influence.

This newfound focus on the region opened up avenues for strategic partnerships and political cooperation.

Spanish-language influence

A key element of this strategy was the establishment in 2012 of HispanTV, a Spanish-language news channel aimed at disseminating the Iranian regime's narrative throughout Latin America.

Along with Iran's PressTV in English, HispanTV was designed as a tool of soft power, leveraging Spanish to engage with millions across Latin America.

At the time, Ahmadinejad made it clear that HispanTV's primary purpose was ideological, aiming to challenge Western narratives and foster connections between Iran and Spanish-speaking communities.

This was confirmed to Entorno by a former HispanTV collaborator who was involved in the project's early stages.

He noted that the editorial line imposed from Tehran was "inflexible and firm," allowing no space for the "informational counterbalance" that journalistic standards typically require when addressing various issues.

"You couldn't include perspectives from opposing sources to balance sensitive issues," said the source, who requested anonymity. "The pro-Iran or pro-China narrative was consistently reflected in the work agenda, even during controversial moments involving these countries on the global stage."

The editorial policy of HispanTV deliberately avoided addressing significant global issues that implicated Iran, Russia or China negatively.

Instead, according to the former collaborator who left the outlet several months ago, "they tried to obscure the truth by focusing on trivial matters."

Disinformation and conspiracy theories

In July, the US-based NGO Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a detailed report examining HispanTV's activities since its inception in 2012.

The report asserts that the channel "disseminates and amplifies anti-Jewish hatred, incites violence, glorifies terrorism, and engages in disinformation, conspiracy theories and historical revisionism."

Even though Spanish satellite company Hispasat delisted HispanTV in December 2013, and YouTube blocked its channel multiple times before banning it altogether in February 2020, HispanTV's messages continue to reach Latin American audiences through other satellite television providers, streaming platforms like Roku and associated social media accounts.

To tackle these issues, the ADL recommended that social media platforms establish proficient Spanish-language content moderation teams, prioritizing the restriction of hateful rhetoric in light of the recent surge in antisemitism.

HispanTV's domain remains active, even after the US Department of Justice seized the domain of its partner outlet, PressTV.com, in June 2021, along with 32 other Iranian government-affiliated media websites because of their involvement in "disinformation campaigns and malign influence operations."

Iran's media and cultural strategy is part of a broader trend in the region.

Other nations, such as Russia and China, have also adopted similar approaches, utilizing their own media channels to expand their influence through propaganda in Latin America.

However, the Political Dialogue report noted that political shifts in countries like Ecuador, Argentina and Uruguay, which have leaned towards more centrist or right-wing positions, have hindered Iran's efforts to expand its influence in the region.