Bolivia's president-elect Evo Morales is slated to arrive Tuesday in Venezuela for talks with President Hugo Chavez.
Although officials have not released details of the meetings in Caracas, analysts say the two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues.
The two men, along with Cuban President Fidel Castro, are united by their leftist ideologies and staunch opposition to U.S. influence in the region.
Mr. Morales has vowed to reverse a U.S.-backed campaign to eradicate coca, the main ingredient in cocaine. Bolivia is the world's third-largest producer of coca, a popular medicinal plant used by the country's Indians.
Mr. Morales' visit to Caracas is the first stop on a global tour that will also take the newly-elected socialist to countries around the globe, including Spain, France, Belgium, South Africa, China and Brazil. He takes office January 22.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
