Inroads for Iran in Latin America

CARACAS, Venezuela — Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sought to expand Tehran's influence in Latin America and deepen his alliance with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez on Wednesday.

Both leaders denounced U.S. "imperialism," and Chavez also called Israel "a murderous arm of the Yankee empire."

He rebuked Israeli President Shimon Peres for his recent prediction that the people of Venezuela and Iran will soon make their leaders disappear.

"What the president of Israel said, we take it as a threat," Chavez said.

Ahmadinejad's visit triggered small protests and was condemned by Chavez opponents and Venezuela's Jewish community. Students protested outside a Caracas hotel where Ahmadinejad was thought to be staying, and another group outside the Iranian Embassy shouted, "We don't want him, go away!"

Chavez welcomed Ahmadinejad saying both countries are withstanding threats from "the same empire" — the United States. Ahmadinejad praised Chavez saying that he is "withstanding the aggressions of imperialism like a mountain," and that the countries are like two soldiers in the same battle trench.

Chavez's enthusiastic embrace has made Venezuela a gateway for the Iranian government to make diplomatic inroads in Latin America. Chavez and Ahmadinejad were expected to discuss cooperation in energy, investments, trade and other areas. Venezuela was the final leg of a three-country goodwill tour of Latin America, after stops in Brazil and Bolivia.

Iran has helped Venezuela set up factories that assemble cars, tractors and bicycles, and Iranian businesses have sent crews to build public housing under contracts with Venezuela.