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This paper corresponds to a FONDECYT project, that examines the presence of Islamite movements in South America, in the period 1999-2006, considering four main historical moments. These emblematic moments correspond to terrorist attacks that were related with different islamist organizations. The targets of these attacks were the following: a) the Israel Embassy in Buenos Aires (March 17th , 1992); b) the building belonging to AMIA and DAIA, also in Buenos Aires July 18t, 1994); c) the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC (September 11th , 2001); d) the railroad network and the Atocha rail station in Madrid (March 11, 2004). At the same time, we formulate a periodization that considers two stages: the first is between the 1992' attack and September 2001; in this period the reports about the islamist presence in South America argue the participation of Shiite movements, particularly Hizbullah, supported by Iran. The second stage is between 2001 and the present times, and is characterized by some judicial developments about the AMIA-DAIA case. In this second stage, there are reports about the presence of other islamist movements, like Al-Qaeda and groups related with Jamaat Tablig. Furthermore, the triborder of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay acquires an attribute of "transnational place". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]