Hugo Chávez was the president of Venezuela and one of the leaders of the country’s United Socialist Party. Before the election of Chávez, Cuba was the only country in the region to adopt a socialist system. Chávez, inspired by the actions of Castro, established a relationship with Cuba and started exchanging resources (oil) and services with the socialist country. As a result, the influence of Chávez and Castro spread throughout Latin America and led to the increased popularity of leftist politics. Before the presidency, Chávez formed the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement to execute a coup and seize control of the government. Later, as a part of the Bolivarian Revolution, Chávez enacted social reforms. They included the nationalization of industries, expanded access to food, education, healthcare, and housing.
The combination of Chávez’s inspirations and actions led to Venezuela expanding the influence of socialist views in Latin America. The Bolivarian Revolution followed the same principles as Cuban movements and aimed to lower the authority of the US over the region. Chávez’s anti-imperialist views contributed to the new policies in the area and supported cooperations that did not rely on the US’s intervention. His relationship with Castro and other leaders in Latin America resulted in new organizations that denounced the influence of the US and attempted to share resources in a local chain.