Uruguay considers declaring Hezbollah a terror organization
"I have read the proposals of South American countries that have their own list and the arguments looked very solid to me," Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou said.
By ALON EINHORNUruguay's new President Luis Lacalle Pou sits after receiving the presidential sash from outgoing President Tabare Vazquez, in Montevideo, Uruguay March 1, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/MARIANA GREIF)
Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou claimed during a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, organized by the American Jewish Committee, that he considers declaring Hezbollah a terror organization.Lacalle Pou took part in an AJC program named “AJC Advocacy Anywhere,” where he was interviewed by Dina Siegel Vann, Director of the AJC Institute of Latin American Affairs. The Uruguayan president participated in the AJC’s Project Interchange in the past.Siegel Vann asked Lacalle Pou several questions as well as read questions from the audience, one of which asked him if he intends to blacklist Hezbollah as a terror organization, as other Latin American countries like Argentina, Paraguay and Honduras have done.In his answer, Lacalle Pou related to the last time he was asked that same question 10 months ago, when he said “we follow the UN list, because Uruguay does not have its own.” This time, Lacalle Pou answered sincerely, claiming that “I am in the process of changing my mind.”“I don’t want to make assurances now, because I want to do it first and then relate to it. Ten months ago I did not [outright] say no, but now I hope to change my opinion.” Clarifying, he added that “I have read the proposals of South American countries that have their own list and the arguments looked very solid to me.”Lacalle Pou was also asked about Uruguay’s recent adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, to which he replied that “Uruguay has a strong tradition of human rights and that is measured in actions,” replied the president. “Human rights do not apply only to some, they are a tradition in our country, regardless of who is in government.”Among other topics, Lacalle Pou also recalled his trips to Israel and spoke of his visit to the Western Wall. “It was at night, I was accompanied by a rabbi, and it stirred something in me. For me it was like learning about my own faith, remembering that there is something greater than us. For politicians, that is a humble way of understanding things, of knowing that one is not God. That was very important to me,” he said.Lacalle Pou also spoke about how he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and how interesting the meeting was. “I can’t wait to go back,” he said, smiling. “I love Tel Aviv, it’s a young city full of life.”
