Three People, Including a Colombian Citizen, Arrested on Suspicion of Terrorism in Argentina

Three people, including a Syrian who recently became a naturalized Colombian citizen, were detained in Buenos Aires on January 2 for suspicion of involvement in terrorism, according to the Argentine government.

The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it was informed of the arrest of Chassam Naem Chatay, who was granted citizenship on May 17, 2022, by way of adoption, per the agency. According to the Colombian paper El Tiempo, the Syria-born man also holds a Venezuelan passport and is registered as the owner of a shop in Bogotá.

“The Colombian national will be provided with the consular assistance provided for in the Vienna Convention,” stated the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an official public statement.

Patricia Bullrich, minister of security of Argentina, said that the men are suspected of planning a terrorist action in the country and that the investigation is ongoing.

She also noted that law enforcement had been on high alert because at the time the nation’s capital was hosting the Pan American Maccabi Games, a 10-day sporting competition for athletes from countries throughout the Americas and Israel.

With some 175,000 Jewish people living in the nation, Argentina is among the countries with the largest population.