Ecuador Designates Hamas, Hezbollah, and the IRGC as Terrorist Organizations

Latest Developments

• Noboa Issues Decree Against Iranian-Backed Terror: Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa signed an executive decree on September 16, designating Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as terrorist organizations. Executive Decree No. 128 was issued after Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center (CNI) warned earlier this year of the strong presence of these terrorist organizations in Latin America and their possible ties to Ecuadorian criminal networks. The decree asserted that the three groups pose a direct threat to the sovereignty, public safety, and integrity of Ecuador, instructing the CNI to examine the groups’ links to Ecuadorian criminal gangs, coordinating with other regional intelligence agencies, if necessary, to combat the threat.
• Move Comes After Rubio Visit: The decree was effected after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Ecuador to meet with Noboa on September 4, resulting in the U.S. designation of two Ecuadorian criminal gangs, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organizations. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the decree, calling it a “brave decision” that “sends a clear message against the Iranian terrorist network and strengthens global security.” He urged “more countries in Latin America and around the world to follow this path.”
• Iran’s Active Proxies in Latin America: Iranian proxies have long embedded themselves in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Colombia. A July report by Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism exposed Iranian incitement operations in Brazil and Argentina acting under the guise of civil society organizations including mosques, non-profit organizations, and religious centers.

FDD Expert Response

“In addition to Hamas massacring and kidnapping more than 25 citizens of Latin American countries on October 7, 2023, the continent itself has been used as Iran’s terror and corruption playground for far too long. Using its proxies, the Islamic regime has wreaked havoc in the region, using it to engage in weapons, contraband, and narco-trafficking. While some of the IRGC-backed terrorism plots have been foiled, others, tragically, have not. Ecuador will take heat from Tehran, but ultimately, this action, if forcefully implemented, will limit the Islamic Republic’s ability to use the country to export its ideological and militant revolution, which only brings instability to Ecuadorian citizens.” — Toby Dershowitz, Managing Director of FDD Action

“President Noboa’s decree brings Ecuador into the community of states in Latin America determined to root out Iranian terror proxies from the continent. Ecuador has recognized that Iran is a threat to, as the decree states, ‘public safety, sovereignty, and the integrity of the State.’ Other countries in the region face a similar threat and should respond similarly.” — Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director

FDD Background and Analysis

“‘Unwavering Commitment to Peace’: Paraguay Designates Iran’s IRGC a Terrorist Organization,” FDD Flash Brief

“Argentina Arrests Hezbollah Crypto Financing Suspects,” by Toby Dershowitz, Will Erens, and Ari Ben Am

“Brazil’s Hezbollah threat: Why sanctioning the terrorist group is crucial,” by Emanuele Ottolenghi

“Argentina Becomes First Latin American State to Designate Hamas as Terrorist Organization,” FDD Flash Brief