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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110405/ap_on_re_us/us_iran_latin_america
Iran Makes Latin American Inroads beyond Venezuela
(AP) Donna Cassata - Gen. Douglas Fraser, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, said Tuesday that Iran has nearly doubled the number of its embassies in Latin America, from 6 in 2005 to 10 in 2010, while also building cultural centers in 17 countries. Last year, Iran also hosted heads of state from Bolivia, Guyana and Venezuela. "Iran continues expanding regional ties to support its own diplomatic goal of reducing the impact of international sanctions connected with its nuclear program," Fraser told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "There are flights between Iran and Venezuela on a weekly basis, and visas are not required for entrance into Venezuela or Bolivia or Nicaragua. So we don't have a lot of visibility in who's visiting," he said.