Venezuela is to continue its plan to develop nuclear technology despite a paranoid flap  from Washington D.C. over Caracas' nuclear cooperation with Iran.  Science & Technology Minister Marlene Yadira Cordova, however, makes it clear that Venezuela's foray into nuclear technology is for entirely peaceful purposes in medicine, industry and oil.

President Hugo Chavez had caused a severe bout of hiccups among Beltway bureaucrats last month when he said Venezuela could acquire nuclear technology with the help of Tehran.

Cordova has, however, told reporters that under various alliances Venezuela has developed around the world, any country is open to Venezuela where conditions for scientific and technological cooperation exist ... nuclear technology for industry and continued medical uses is what Venezuela currently needs the most, but she insists that a "third element is energy for the oil industry!"

Meanwhile Venezuela is solidly behind Iran a dispute with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program. Paranoid US officials say Iran is secretly working to produce nuclear bombs while Tehran assures their nuclear program program is entirely for peaceful civilian energy purposes.

Brazil and Argentina could also develop nuclear energy as an alternative power source although Brazil says it is unlikely that it would cooperate with Venezuela on nuclear energy project which also involving Iran ... Brazil sees possible Iranian involvement as being counterproductive to its own burgeoning relationship with the United States.

Chavez says his government has strengthened ties with Iran, Russia and Cuba in a determined effort to remove itself from too heavy a reliance on Washington as a customer for Venezuelan oil ... he accuses the United States of aiding and abetting opposition plots to overthrow his democratically-elected government and while Washington denies its involvement in an April 2002 coup d'etat ... which briefly saw Chavez replaced by a US puppet dictator ... documentary evidence has recently been uncovered to prove the lie.