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Iran in Latin America: Threat or Axis of Annoyance?
Senior Fellow Douglas Farah's analysis of the debate over the level of threat posed by Iran's expanding diplomatic, trade and military presence in Latin America, and its stated ambition to continue to broaden these ties.
Chinese Naval Modernization: Altering the Balance of Power
Richard Fisher details China's naval modernization program and the potential impacts on U.S. interests in the Western Pacific.
Ecuador’s Role in Iran’s Latin American Financial Structure
A Case Study of the Use of COFIEC Bank
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Since November 2008, when the Central Bank of Ecuador agreed to accept $120 million in deposits from the internationally sanctioned Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI), the desire of Iran to use the Ecuadoran financial system to access the world banking system has been evident. In 2008, EDBI was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for "providing financial services to Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL)," in an effort to "advance Iran's WMD programs."
What has emerged since early 2012 is a far more sophisticated plan to use a little-known Ecuadoran bank in state receivership, known as COFIEC, to open correspondent accounts with sanctioned Iranian banking institutions through a state-owned Russian bank. There have also been serious discussions of clandestinely selling the Ecuadoran bank to sanctioned Iranian banks, talks which senior government officials have acknowledged are still underway.
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Ecuador’s Role in Iran’s Latin American Financial Structure
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