Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president, will begin a tour of Latin America next week that has raised eyebrows in Washington, mainly because of his stop-off in Venezuela, which has been a thorn in side of US influence in the region under President Hugo Chávez.

Experts say the timing of the visit is not accidental. Following US support for Georgia in the brief war with Russia last August, they believe the visit is motivated primarily by a desire to show Moscow can meddle in a traditional US sphere of influence.