Global Security Newswire

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has denied interest in developing nuclear weapons, Bloomberg reported Saturday (see GSN, March 8, 2006).

"We don't need an atomic bomb, because we already have one:  It's called the Venezuelan people," Chavez said in a televised speech.  "That has the force of 100 atomic bombs."

European press reports indicated that Chavez intended to sign a nuclear weapons development agreement with Iran during his upcoming fifth state visit there, Bloomberg reported.

Chavez has sided with Iran in the standoff over its nuclear program, which Tehran says is peaceful in nature but which Western nations fear is intended to develop weapons (Theresa Bradley, Bloomberg, June 23).