Brazil will "soon" designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization, Brazilian lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro told Al Arabiya English over the weekend.
Bolsonaro, who is also the son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, said, "Inside the government, we are debating about the ways to stop terrorist groups from coming to Brazil. Argentina recognized [Hezbollah] because they had two terrorist attacks in 1992 and 1994."
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He added: "I can tell you that soon we are going to do the same, we are going to follow Argentina, declaring that Hezbollah is a terrorist group."
Brazil is also considering a harsher stance on terrorist groups Hamas, al-Qaida, and Boko Haram, Bolsonaro said.
Hezbollah has several active cells in South America, mostly in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro, an ally of Iran, permits the organization to operate freely and even transfers funds to it.
In July, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised Argentinian authorities for designating Hezbollah a terrorist organization and ordering a freeze of the group's assets.
In August, the government of Paraguay announced it had designated Hezbollah and Hamas as terrorist organizations, in a move praised by Israeli officials.
Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz lauded President Mario Abdo Benítez's administration for what he described as the "struggle against Iranian-sponsored" terrorism.
