Bolivia and Chile Protest Against Argentine Statements

On Wednesday, Chile lodged a protest note with the government of Argentine President Javier Milei over the statements of Security Minister Patricia Bullrich regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Chilean territory.

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"I demand respect for our country... Chile does not harbor any terrorist group either within its territory or outside it," Chilean President Gabriel Boric previously stated.

In an interview with an Argentine channel on Monday, Bullrich claimed that Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party, is present in Chile and Bolivia, as well as in the triple border area between Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina.

"Last year, two Hezbollah members were arrested in Sao Paulo city... We have a situation on the continent," she said, adding that the situation becomes more delicate due to Venezuela.

On Wednesday, Chile's ambassador to the United States, Juan Valdes, reported that he sent a letter to the U.S. Congress to reject the statements of Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who suggested that Hezbollah is present in Chile.

"Rubio said that Chile had received U.S. sanctions for having companies that were run by Hezbollah. That is a situation that has never occurred in our history... There is no company controlled by Hezbollah in Chile," Valdes said, describing Rubio's accusations as "an insult to Chileans" and "a lack of respect for a democracy."

On Tuesday, the Bolivian Foreign Affairs Ministry also demanded respect for its country, stressing that the Argentine security minister’s statements seek to generate confrontations between states, which is contrary to the will of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to defend the region as a peace zone.

"We will summon the Argentine diplomatic representation to provide explanations about Minister Bullrich’s unfortunate and mistaken statements," the Bolivian diplomacy said.

"Following the principles of international law and our culture of peace, we will opt for dialogue to resolve this unpleasant episode," it added.

This is not the first time Bullrich has caused diplomatic problems. Previously, her statements have also sparked issues with countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, and Cuba.

Nevertheless, Bullrich's narratives fit within the political line of Milei. His far-right administration has defined itself as an ally of the Zionist state, which Milei considers a "symbol of freedom" despite the evident genocide against the Palestinian people.