"I have directed (Energy) Minister (Rafael) Ramirez to freeze the plans we have been advancing, for preliminary studies of a peaceful Venezuelan nuclear program," the president said at a public event broadcast on television.
"What has happened in the last hours is extremely risky and dangerous for the whole world, because despite the advanced technology that Japan has, just look at what has been happening with some nuclear reactors. The magnitude of the nuclear problem in Japan is not known," Chavez said.
Venezuela 2010 signed an agreement with Russia to begin to build the first nuclear power plant in the South American country, an agreement which aroused the suspicion of the United States.
Chavez`s comments came after a fresh fire broke out at a quake-hit Japanese atomic power plant early Wednesday, compounding Japan`s nuclear crisis.
Engineers have been desperately battling a nuclear meltdown at the 40-year-old plant since a massive earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems last Friday and fuel rods began overheating.
There have been four explosions and two fires at four of the plant`s six reactors and radioactive material has been released into the atmosphere.
(Uu.E012/H-AK)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
