Chavez urges US, Russia to denuclearize themselves

Venezuela has called for the elimination of all nuclear bombs asking why powers that possess such weapons of mass destruction are not under pressure to disarm.

“What we propose is for nuclear bombs to be eliminated. Venezuela will never build a nuclear bomb,” Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told reporters in the central Bolivian region of Cochabamba on Saturday.

The Venezuelan president said his government is working with Russia to develop nuclear energy, stressing Venezuela would only use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The president also confirmed an earlier announcement by his mining minister that Iranian and Venezuelan experts were working on a joint project to locate the Latin state's uranium reserves.

Earlier, Venezuela's Science and Technology Minister, Jesse Chacon announced Iran has assisted his country in discovering “deposits of uranium as well as gold, diamonds and coltan”.

Chacon added that the surveys are separate from efforts with Russia in developing nuclear energy.

“We're working with several countries, with Iran, with Russia. We're responsible for what we're doing, we're in control,” Chavez said as he addressed a gathering of several Latin American presidents.

Chavez, who is a leading critic of United States foreign policy, has established close relations with Tehran and Moscow in recent years.