Global Security Newswire

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday announced he had suspended his country's nascent atomic power program in response to the massive breakdowns at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant (see GSN, Nov. 10, 2010).

Venezuela's 2010 announcement of the energy initiative prompted concern among observers that the South American nation might harbor nuclear-weapon ambitions. Caracas in October inked an agreement with Russia for the construction of two 1,200-megawatt power reactors, according to a previous report.

On Tuesday, though, Chavez said he had rethought his country's nuclear plans in light of Japan's desperate efforts to avert potential meltdowns and radioactive material releases at the Fukushima facility, which was severely damaged on Friday by a massive earthquake (see related GSN story, today).

"It's something extremely risky and dangerous for the whole world because despite the great technology and advances that Japan has, look at what is happening with some nuclear reactors," the Associated Press quoted Chavez as saying in a television address.

The president said he had instructed Venezuela's vice president and top energy official to "freeze the plans that we have been moving forward with, some very preliminary studies" on pursuing an atomic energy capability.

"I don't have the slightest doubt that this [nuclear crisis in Japan] will alter ... in a strong way nuclear energy development plans in the world," Chavez said, adding it was also likely to result in elevated interest in petroleum "in the short, medium and long term" (Associated Press/Yahoo!News, March 16).