Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales, fresh from a visit with Fidel Castro, launched a world tour Tuesday by joining with Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez in a denunciation of free-market economics – a sign of the growing relationship among the three leftist leaders.
Notably, the tour includes stops in Spain, France, Belgium, South Africa, China and Brazil – but not Washington. Morales’ spokesman says he was not invited.

Morales said he and Chavez were uniting in a “fight against neoliberalism and imperialism.”