Venezuela, as the world's fifth-largest crude oil exporter, certainly has the economic power to play this role. Unlike Cuba, which has been under US economic blockade for 44 years, Venezuela sent 50 percent of its exports to the US last year, trading US$44 billion with the nation whose "imperialist" practices Chavez so roundly criticizes.
In fact, Chavez is looking to surpass his master who, despite surviving hundreds of assassination plots, some of them publicly sponsored by the US, and 10 presidents in the White House, never never managed to translate his undeniable relevance into power at the regional level.
In sheer numbers, Venezuela far outstrips Cuba, with 25 million people and a GDP of US$164.1 billion. Cuba has only 11 million people and a US$33.9 billion economy.
But beyond that, Chavez can use trade for leverage. Just last month, the state-owned oil company narrowed the flow of petroleum to the US, which gets 11 percent of its supplies from Venezuela, shutting down distribution through its wholly owned Citgo stations.
US President George W. Bush responded with a call for more energy independence for the US.
Conversely, Chavez is trying to diversify trade, looking for partners beyond the region in Asia to reduce Venezuela's dependence on the US.
Following Castro's rhetorical example, Chavez has called Bush a "drunkard" and "murderer," flaunted visits to Iran, which has promised to fund Venezuela's nuclear development program, and threatened to visit North Korea.
He also recently returned triumphant from a weapons shopping trip to Russia. Chavez can afford it. The country has huge foreign exchange reserves from soaring oil prices, and they give Chavez a shot at squaring Castro's circle -- by leading a revival of fast-spreading regional leftist nationalism to erode Washington's traditional influence on Latin America.
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