(CNN) -- Beef from Brazil is on Iranian dinner tables. An Iranian-built hospital treats patients near Bolivia's capital. Iranian-funded factories dot the Venezuelan countryside. Iran has forged hundreds of agreements with Latin American nations and pledged billions of dollars to fund them. More deals could be in store this week as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad embarks on a trip that starts in Venezuela on Sunday and includes stops in Nicaragua, Cuba and Ecuador. Well before the Iranian leader's arrival in Caracas, his plans for a Latin America tour grabbed global attention as tensions grow between many Western powers and Iran over the nation's nuclear program.
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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins a four-nation Latin America tour
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The trip is the latest step in a longstanding effort to shore up support in the region
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Analyst: "Iran has an extremely active diplomatic move afoot"
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Iran recently launched a Spanish-language television network
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And the target audience was thousands of miles away from the government-sponsored broadcasting hub in @placeholder's capital.
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Some high-profile missteps have accompanied Iran's increasing forays into @placeholder, he said.
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Cuba was one of the first countries to recognize @placeholder's government after the 1979 revolution.
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And it's no coincidence that @placeholder will be Ahmadinejad's first stop on his trip to the region -- his sixth as president.
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Venezuela and @placeholder already have signed more than 270 accords, including trade deals, construction projects, car and tractor factories, energy initiatives and banking programs.
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"The countries of @placeholder are saying to the world that they have sovereignty and independence.
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"The visit by @placeholder to Venezuela and the rest of the countries reinforces on Iran's part that they are not isolated.
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"The visit by Ahmadinejad to @placeholder and the rest of the countries reinforces on Iran's part that they are not isolated.