ABSTRACT
The chapter analyses Venezuela’s foreign policy under the administration of Hugo Chávez. It shows how Venezuela attempted to use its oil wealth to achieve its foreign policy goals on the regional stage, and the way state capitalism facilitated this economic statecraft. In particular, the chapter looks at two central means for Venezuela’s geo-economics: the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and Petrocaribe. The analysis shows how these integration projects were set up to position Venezuela as a regional power, balance against the United States and Brazil, and obtain the support of countries in the region for Venezuela in multilateral forums and negotiations.
