Venezuela's Chavez aims to tap nuclear energy

[naaman fletcher]

"I say it before the world: Venezuela is going to start the process of developing nuclear energy, but we're not going to make an atomic bomb, so don't be bothering us afterward ... (with) something like what they have against Iran," Chavez said Sunday.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hk9wR...

[IDFbunny]

1. Oh dear!

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Of course, if it was not for the US influence in the OAS, Venezuela

would likelier have turned to Argentina or Brazil for help in developing nuclear energy.

This is Venezuela's way of saying to the US "You can't bully us just by putting troops on our borders in Colombia. We have other options."

[enid602]

3. limited

His options are somewhat limited, as the only entities that loan money to Venezuela do so on the condition that they can use Venezuela-owned Citgo assets in the US as collateral. Within any given week, Hugo threatens to do a whole range of things; develop nuclear energy, cut off diplomatic relations with other countries, embargoes, etc. He´s just blowing smoke out of his ass.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. Which, as I said, is why he is turning to Iran. Which is also why he's

good buddies with Cuba. He knows he can deal with the people that the US dislikes simply because the US dislikes them. The US has no club to hold over Cuba or Iran that it isn't already using. It DOES hold a big club over both Argentina and Brazil, the only South American countries with nuclear technology. I have no doubt he'd prefer to work with his neighbors - thus increasing his own influence with them - than with a rival oil producer half way across the world, but the US vendetta against him won't allow for that.

[naaman fletcher]

6. the news as I see it..

Is that Venezuela's economy and the Government Budget is MUCH worse than is being let on. Why do they need financial help on this? Why do they need a $2 billion dollar line of credit for buying Russian arms?

For a country with so much oil, something is wrong.

[enid602]

8. foreign aid

Chavez distributed $89 billion to other countrries in ´08; this aid was pared down to $2 billion in ´09. Personally, I like Chavez´s rhetoric about poverty and socialism. After seeing Caracas´ slums, however I can´t see how he can reationalize spending a penny overseas.

[timeforpeace]

4. What could go wrong?

[ShortnFiery]

7. Yes, first IRAN, then VENEZUELA.

The rest of the WORLD is afraid of the USA, not some rag tag nation such as Venezuela.

Too bad they have OIL ... otherwise we could care less.

[andym]

9. Why does Venezuela want expensive nuclear energy?

When they have cheap oil for years to come. Why don't they try developing renewable energy instead (for the post-oil) future? The nuclear waste problems themselves are daunting.