Lebanese historian Makram Rabah recalls his grandfather's Venezuelan home with its portrait of “The Liberator” Simon Bolivar on the wall as the symbol of the country of “goodness and generosity”.
For Lebanese in Venezuela − the majority of whom opposed President Nicolas Maduro's regime and its allies − these are uncertain times.
The fate of Hezbollah's extensive and well-documented networks in the country rests with the regime’s intelligence services. After US forces captured Mr Maduro last weekend, President Donald Trump declared that Caracas would co-operate with Washington in a strategic alignment that rejects a quarter-century of anti-American socialism.
The Lebanese are a very well-established emigrant community in Venezuela Eduardo Aboultaif ,
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
Hezbollah's presence in Venezuela now looms as a test of Washington’s determination to stamp out drug trafficking and terrorism in the country.
The Iranian-backed Lebanese militia, which was weakened by the 2024 war with Israel, has been able to fund itself through drug smuggling and shadow fleet operations, some of which are based in Venezuela.
Until now, they were protected by Venezuela's Bolivarian National Intel
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