(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.
@highlight
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad begins a four-nation Latin America tour
@highlight
The trip is the latest step in a longstanding effort to shore up support in the region
@highlight
Analyst: "Iran has an extremely active diplomatic move afoot"
@highlight
Iran recently launched a Spanish-language television network
And it's no coincidence that @placeholder will be Ahmadinejad's first stop on his trip to the region -- his sixth as president.
Venezuela and @placeholder already have signed more than 270 accords, including trade deals, construction projects, car and tractor factories, energy initiatives and banking programs.