AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute (LLAI) maintains relations that help protect and strengthen local Jewish communities, secure support for Israel throughout the Americas, and foster favorable political alliances between Jewish and Latin American communities in the United States.
LLAI serves as a credible and effective interlocutor between governments and civil society in the promotion of democratic values across the continent. AJC leaders frequently visit Latin American countries, and the agency maintains international partnerships with the Jewish communities of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela.
Supporting Venezuelan Jewry
AJC monitors the status of Jewish life in Venezuela within local
communities. It informs and sensitizes the US administration and
Congress as well as other governments, the Jewish world, the media and
public opinion in general about threats posed to Venezuelan Jewry.
Let’s use diplomacy, not public protests
by Dina Siegel Vann
AJC Op-ed on Venezuela Jews in Miami Herald. READ.
Monitoring Internal Iranian Threats in South America
AJC in-depth briefings heighten awareness of Iran’s expanding
relationship with Venezuela and other nations of the Americas, as well
as of terrorist groups it subsidizes such as Hezbollah. READ.
Executive Director's Blog: Dear Brazilian President Lula (Why Did You Invite Iran’s Ahmadinejad?)READ.
by David Harris
Iran's Presence in Latin America: Trade, Energy, and Terror READ.
Advancing the Cause of Justice in the AMIA Case
AJC has spearheaded efforts to keeping the memory of the 1994 terrorist
bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires alive in the
court of public opinion and the halls of justice. In 2004, on the tenth
anniversary of the attack, then President of Argentina Nestor Kirchner
spoke at the AJC annual meeting. He reiterated his intention to solving
the case, and expressed his shame at the fact that justice remained a
pending assignment. Then Senator and now current President Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner, an outspoken advocate for the resolution of the
bombing, also addressed the issue during the 2007 annual meeting.
A Cover-Up Exposed: The 1994 AMIA Bombing Case Hits the Wall / 2004READ.
Op-ed: The Rafsanjani connection in AMIA bombing
by Dina Siegel Vann
AJC Op-ed on in JTA. READ.
Missions of Latin American Opinion Leaders to Israel
AJC co-sponsors educational trips to Israel to deepen understanding of
Israel and the complexity of the Middle East conflict. Travelers have
included government officials, legislators, journalists and academics. READ.
Bridging together Latin American Jewish communities
Beyond the yearly encounters during AJC Annual Meetings in Washington
with 50 plus Latin American and Caribbean participants, AJC organizes
regional consultations and training workshops in Miami and Washington,
DC, for Latin American Jewish leadership. Seven of AJC’s 29
international associations are with Jewish communities in Latin America.
