Pro-Palestine: How Venezuela’s crisis could threaten Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran?

• Strategic Blow: Hamas and Hezbollah view Maduro’s capture as the loss of a "base" in the West, citing his history of providing a diplomatic platform, humanitarian aid, and scholarship programs to Palestinians.
• Existential Shift: Regional allies fear a successor government will reverse decades of anti-Zionist policy, potentially restoring ties with Israel and adopting US-led "terrorist" designations for the groups.

Hamas, Hezbollah, and Tehran issued sharp condemnations following the reported abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States military following military action against the Latin American country.

For these sides, the event is seen as the fall of a strategic partner who turned his country into a "rear base" for the Palestinian cause and the "Axis of Resistance" in the Western Hemisphere.

The Legacy of Hugo Chávez

The foundation of Venezuela’s hostility toward Zionism began with the late President Hugo Chávez. A major turning point occurred in 2009 during ‘Israel's’ operation “Cast Lead" in Gaza, when Chávez expelled the ‘Israeli’ ambassador and famously declared, "Damn you, State of Israel," while severing all diplomatic ties—a policy Maduro strictly maintained.

Under this doctrine, Venezuela was among the first to recognize the State of Palestine, upgrading diplomatic representation to a full embassy and waiving entry visas for Palestinians.

Maduro: Beyond Political Support

Since taking power in 2013, Maduro elevated the relationship from political support to a "partnership of fate," specifically with the resistance movements, challenging US terrorism designations.

• Engagement with Hamas: Caracas treats Hamas as a legitimate national liberation movement rather than a “terrorist” group. Maduro has hosted high-level Hamas delegations with full official honors multiple times.
• UN Diplomacy: Venezuela’s UN delegates frequently echoed the rhetoric of Gaza-based factions, defending rocket fire as "self-defense" and refusing to condemn the group’s military actions.
• Humanitarian Aid: During ‘Israeli’ assaults in 2014, 2021, and 2023, Maduro frequently appeared wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh and dispatched aid to Gaza despite the economic blockade on his own country.

The Hezbollah and Iran Connection

Washington and Tel Aviv have long accused the Maduro administration of facilitating Hezbollah’s operations in Latin America, often pointing to Venezuelan figures of Levantine descent.

Maduro and Hezbollah share a common vision, viewing themselves in the same trench against "US imperialism." In its statement today, Hezbollah described Maduro as an ally now "paying the price for his positions."

Practical Support: More Than Just Slogans

Venezuelan support manifested in several ways:

• Reconstruction Funds: The establishment of funds to collect donations for rebuilding Gaza after successive military assaults.
• Yasser Arafat Scholarships: Venezuelan universities have hosted hundreds of Palestinian students, mostly from Gaza, for free medical and engineering degrees.
• Oil Diplomacy: Caracas signed symbolic agreements to supply Palestine with oil at preferential prices, a move intended to challenge US energy hegemony.

The fall of Maduro likely means the rise of a pro-Washington administration, threatening to restore relations with ‘Israel’ and align Venezuela with other Latin American nations, such as Argentina, in designating these groups as terrorists.