He arrested the most powerful woman in Mexico, leader of the largest union in Latin America, on allegations of corruption that previous presidents saw but were too compromised to tackle.

NPR: Mexico's President Gathers Power, Pushes Reform

The service, a sort of test run for Western Union, targets those sending money to Latin America and the Caribbean.

CNN: Mobile money transfers may infuse developing world

Chavez was a driving force in unifying Latin America, creating new regional organizations like the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

CNN: Opinion: Chavez was a maker of dreams