9. Venezuela: From Oil Diplomacy to Disinformation Pawn

This chapter critically examines the significant shift in Venezuela’s public diplomacy strategies under the leadership of President Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro. It explores how Venezuela, leveraging its vast oil wealth and strategic alliances, particularly with Cuba, projected influence across Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting its model of ‘21st-century socialism’ and countering Western democratic ideals. The text delves into the Venezuelan-Cuban alliance, examining how this partnership enhanced Venezuela’s public diplomacy capabilities and facilitated the spread of its ideological agenda. It also analyzes Venezuela’s oil diplomacy initiatives, assessing their impact on regional politics and the balance of power in Latin America and the Caribbean. The chapter emphasizes the role of media, particularly teleSUR, in advancing Venezuela’s sharp power objectives, highlighting how information channels have been utilized to shape narratives and influence public opinion at home and abroad. Finally, the chapter concludes by reflecting on the implications of Venezuela’s strategies for democratic governance in the region and the challenges they represent to international norms and institutions.