The world seems to be ignoring a dangerous partnership that threatens international peace and stability -- the Iran-Venezuela pairing that is having great success exporting its authoritarian model throughout Latin America.

The latest example of how the duo is permeating the region with hate comes from David Romero, the director of Radio Globo of Honduras and a staunch supporter of deposed President Manuel Zelaya. Romero used these shocking words on September 25:

"There are times when I ask myself if Hitler was or [was] not correct in finishing with that race with the famous Holocaust. If there are people that do damage in this country, they are Jewish, the Israelis.

"After what I have learned, I ask myself why, why didn't we let Hitler carry out his historic mission? Forgive me for the grotesque expression. But I ask myself after I have realized this and many other things. I believe it should have been fair and valid to let Hitler finish his historic vision."

Romero's shameful comments came soon after Zelaya made a public statement that he was being subjected to mind-altering gas and radiation and that "Israeli mercenaries" were planning to assassinate him.

In the immediate aftermath of Zelaya's June 28 removal from office, conspiracy theories stating that Israel was involved started to proliferate in Honduras, along with false accusations that Israel had recognized the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti.

In an open letter, Zelaya did attempt to distance himself from Romero's clearly anti-Semitic statements. But the language used by Zelaya's followers and supporters often shrieks of raw anti-Semitism, and the small local Jewish community is understandably alarmed at the prevalence of anti-Semitic graffiti.

What explains this unfortunate phenomenon in Honduras? These episodes cannot be analyzed without taking into account the influence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in the region. The Chávez government has created a hostile atmosphere for Jews in Venezuela. Chávez and his supporters often refer to Israel as the "murderous" arm of the United States and compare Israelis to Nazis -- a comparison so absurd and grotesque that it cannot withstand any rational analysis.

The growing economic, financial and military ties between Chávez and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad explain this language.

As relations between Venezuela and Iran grow, the anti-Israel message delivered from Caracas to the region becomes stronger. The proliferation of conspiracy theories linking the state of Israel and the Jewish community to Zelaya's ousting are extremely alarming, especially given the political instability in the country and the potential for violence that the situation generates.

And it is not just the Venezuela-Iran connection that needs to be carefully watched. Chávez has also courted Libya and Syria, among other dangerous nations. Chávez is not only introducing Iran in the region but other rogue dictatorships as well, all of them anti-Israel and anti-Semitic.

Democratic, responsible nations in the Americas should all toil within the framework of regional organizations like the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to protect the democratic principles that governments within the hemisphere have worked so hard to achieve.

A potentially encouraging development took place recently: OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza called on the Venezuelan government to allow a visit from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Even though it is highly unlikely that Chávez will allow the commission to visit Venezuela (according to its statute, the IACHR can only visit a country at the invitation of the government in question), the secretary general's reaction could be a sign that the truly democratic nations in Latin America are finally getting serious about combating the authoritarian forces that plague the region. It's not much to cling to right now, but it's a start.