Venezuela's relations with Ecuador and Bolivia in the field of international cooperation during and after Hugo Chávez administration

Abstract

The crisis in Venezuela has left aside the debate about the role of this country in international cooperation field. However, there are still aspects to analyze, especially the relations with its Andean political allies during and after the government of Hugo Chávez. This paper aims to highlight important elements of cooperation between Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, the political and economic context for cooperation and the subsequent decline of projects and agreements. It highlights how Venezuela used petrodollars, hyper-presidentialism and a soft balancing strategy as the main tools for foreign policy, which were elements get cooperation weaker. The data for the investigation were obtained through a critical review and analysis of documents and official declarations regarding the relations of three countries between 2006 and 2018, as well as the academic literature. The results of this research show the little progress the projects had (both bilateral and within the framework of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty) even before the resurgence of the economic crisis in Venezuela.