Editing Hugo Chávez (section)

===Foreign policy===
{{further|Foreign policy of the Hugo Chávez government}}
[[File:Brasília - DF (5808388580).jpg|thumb|Chávez with Brazilian President [[Dilma Rousseff]] in Brasília, 6 June 2011]]
Though Chávez inspired other movements in Latin America to follow his model of ''chavismo'' in an attempt to reshape South America, it was later seen as being erratic and his influence internationally became exaggerated.<ref name=curse>{{cite web |last1=Marthoz|first1=Jean-Paul |title=Venezuela's foreign policy: a mirage based on a curse |url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/186054/5ac5220191adf69475fb57f9e303479c.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024192156/https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/186054/5ac5220191adf69475fb57f9e303479c.pdf |archive-date=24 October 2018 |url-status=live|access-date=25 January 2016}}</ref> Domestic mishandling of the country under Chávez prevented Venezuela from strengthening its position in the world.<ref name=curse/>

According to communications studies academic Stuart Davis, Chávez's foreign policy aimed to promote [[South–South cooperation]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1345216431 |title=Sanctions as War: Anti-Imperialist Perspectives on American Geo-Economic Strategy |date=2023 |publisher=Haymarket Books |isbn=978-1-64259-812-4 |location= |pages=275 |oclc=1345216431|last1=Davis |first1=Stuart}}</ref> He refocused Venezuelan foreign policy on Latin American economic and social integration by enacting bilateral trade and reciprocal aid agreements, including his so-called "oil diplomacy"<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2005/07/28/using-oil-to-spread-revolution | title=Using oil to spread revolution | newspaper=[[The Economist]] | date=28 July 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news401/ns401205.htm |title=Guyana to Try for Better Oil Rates Under Caracas Accord |work=[[Stabroek News]] |date=20 January 2004}}</ref> making Venezuela more dependent on using oil, its main commodity, and increasing its longterm vulnerability.<ref name=curse/> Chávez also focused on a variety of multinational institutions to promote his vision of Latin American integration, including [[Petrocaribe]], Petrosur, and [[TeleSUR]]. Bilateral trade relationships with other Latin American countries also played a major role in his policy, with Chávez increasing arms purchases from Brazil, forming oil-for-expertise trade arrangements with Cuba, and creating unique [[barter]] arrangements that exchange Venezuelan petroleum for cash-strapped Argentina's meat and dairy products.<ref name=smoke/>

Chávez also aligned himself with authoritarian nations and radical movements that were seen as being anti-Western,<ref name=curse/> with relations with [[Cuba–Venezuela relations|Cuba]] and [[Iran–Venezuela relations|Iran]] becoming a particular importance. He also befriended [[pariah state]]s such as Belarus and Iran.<ref name=smoke>{{cite news | url=https://www.ft.com/content/e0cdedba-fe4e-11e1-8228-00144feabdc0 |last=Mander |first=Benedict |title=Venezuela: Up in smoke | work=[[Financial Times]] | date=16 September 2012 | url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In particular, relations between Venezuela and the United States deteriorated markedly as Chávez became highly critical of the [[foreign policy of the United States]],<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5365142.stm | title=Chavez tells UN Bush is 'devil' | work=[[BBC News]] | date=10 September 2006}}</ref> opposing the U.S. led [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] and condemning the NATO-led [[2011 military intervention in Libya]]. Relations thawed somewhat under President [[Barack Obama]] in June 2009, only to steadily deteriorate once again shortly afterwards.<ref>{{cite web|title=Venezuela expels 3 American Diplomats over Violence Conspiracy|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/02/venezuela-expels-3-american-diplomats-over-violence-conspiracy/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|access-date=18 February 2014}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=June 2022}}