The Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, confirmed this Wednesday that two Iranian citizens were detained in Chile in 2023 with false passports, but ruled out that they have links with the terrorist group Hezbollah.
The background information establishes that the subjects were detected at the Santiago airport in 2023, trying to travel to England.
“A link with Hezbollah has not been proven. What is known is that they are two Iranian citizens who entered Chile with an Iranian passport and that there was a criminal procedure at the airport, where they were provided with false passports to leave Chile,” the Government authority explained.
“That operation was detected, it was dismantled, the people were detained, they are being held in Chile with precautionary measures and it is a process that is under investigation,” he added.
This information was revealed less than 24 hours following the Minister of Security of Argentina, Patricia Bullrich, assured that members of Hezbollah were installed “in the north of Chile”, specifically in the city of Iquique.
This statement was dismissed by the head of the Interior, Carolina Tohá, and by President Gabriel Boric. “If the Argentine Minister of Security, Patricia Patricia Bullrich, has serious antecedents, she should hand them over to the appropriate court and communicate them through the Foreign Ministry. But these statements made by the press to the tun-tun at least don’t seem like it to me. We are also going to send a note of protest through the Foreign Ministry. I demand respect for our country,” said the President.
It is important to note that Hezbollah is a group allied with Iran, whose leader is Hasan Nasrallah, and is one of Israel’s main enemies.
Regarding the Iranian citizens detained in Chile, Monsalve mentioned that “there are no elements of judgment, within the framework of the investigation, at least that are in my hands, that allow us to make that connection (with Hezbollah).”
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