VOA常速英语2008年-Iranian Overtures to Latin America Spark US Con

By Brian Wagner
Miami
19 March 2008

Iranian moves to solidify¹ ties with Venezuela, Bolivia and other leftist governments in Latin America have sparked increasing concern in the United States.  From Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the growing Iranian ties reflect shared political and economic goals and anti-American sentiment.

At first glance, Iran seems to have little in common with Latin America. Trade and economic relations are rare, and the two regions have different cultural and religious traditions.

But Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has found common ground with leftist leaders critical of the United States and its policy goals around the world.

To help build alliances, Iran has signed a series of economic deals with Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. This week, Bolivia and Iran agreed on joint² projects worth $1 billion, including the installation of three Iranian-backed television channels in Bolivia.

Patrick Clawson, deputy director for research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says the agreements are driven by Iran's political interests, and not economic ones.

"That is why we see all these economic cooperation deals signed, which make no economic sense whatsoever," he said.  "But both sides deeply believe in them, and both sides deeply believe in the spread of world revolution."

Clawson says projects like the construction of a new seaport³ in Nicaragua will have little economic benefit for Iran, but he says Iranian support may help generate political support across the region.

Clawson and Latin America experts spoke⁴ at a conference at the University of Miami about Iran's growing influence in Latin America.

University of Miami professor Jaime Suchlicki said Iran and its allies are seeking to nurture⁵ other like-minded politicians across Latin America. He says recent Iranian support for candidates in Latin American elections has raised concern about the impact on democracy.

"They are taking advantage of democracy in Latin America," he said.  "They support candidates and friends at all levels and try to bring them to power. So the main challenge in Latin America is how to deal with growing Iranian influence within a democratic framework."

Iran's key partner in the region has been Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a fierce critic of the United States. Experts say the Iranian and Venezuelan leaders have used their nations' oil wealth to finance international projects and build new relationships around the world.

Mr. Chavez has backed Iranian plans to begin issuing oil contracts in euros, not U.S. dollars, because of the falling price of the dollar against the euro. Financial experts say the move could weaken the value of the dollar and hurt the U.S. economy.

Jose Azel is a senior research associate at the University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.

"That is a very sophisticated and dangerous position that Iran and now Venezuela seems to be backing," he said.

Azel says Iran's growing involvement in Latin America is complicating⁶ U.S. ties to the region, which have been strained by the war in Iraq and other policy differences.  He says Washington recently has been seeking to engage Latin America in an effort to counter the leftist influence.

"The [U.S.] administration has negotiated a number of trade deals with Latin America," he noted⁷.  "And [President] Bush has actually visited Latin America more than any other president in U.S. history."

President Bush is currently backing a free trade agreement with Colombia, which administration officials say will help counter leftist influence in the region. The pending⁸ trade deal with Washington's close ally may not, however, be enough to ease concerns over Iranian influence in Latin America.  Experts say Washington will face a diplomatic struggle as long as Iran continues to offer economic aid and political support to potential allies.

1 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 seaport   

n.海港，港口，港市

参考例句：

• Ostend is the most important seaport in Belgium.奥斯坦德是比利时最重要的海港。
• A seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal.轮船能够补充煤炭的海港。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。

6 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。