Reinforcing Nuclear Dependency

According to the official website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Agency played a key role in the successful shipment of high enriched uranium (HEU) from Venezuela to the United States, in a joint mission carried out under tight security.

The three countries involved – the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela – and the IAEA worked closely together to ensure that the cargo of 13 kilograms of HEU was safely and securely transported by land and sea from South to North America.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated: “This has been an example of the strong will, effective coordination, dedication and professionalism of all the parties involved.”

Furthermore, Christopher T. Yeaw, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State, remarked that these effective partnerships can eliminate nuclear proliferation risks and enhance global nuclear security.

The uranium—enriched to just above 20%—was transferred from a shutdown research reactor at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) to the Savannah River Site of the U.S. Department of Energy in South Carolina. The IAEA provided technical expertise and nuclear safety guidance for the transport of fuel from the RV-1 reactor, which operated for three decades until 1991.

In late April, a nighttime convoy protected by the Venezuelan military departed the IVIC for the port town of Puerto Cabello, where the fuel container was loaded onto a UK ship that headed directly to the United States, arriving in early May. Following this mission, no fuel remains in the Venezuelan reactor, aligning with international efforts to eliminate HEU from research reactor sites worldwide.

This operation reaffirms that the true role of the IAEA, under the guise of "nuclear security," centers on restricting developing nations' access to strategic nuclear technology and ensuring that this superiority remains exclusively in the hands of Western powers, rather than merely monitoring the peaceful nature of programs. The context of the mission clearly illustrates that the objective is to strip these nations of their nuclear capabilities and divert them to the benefit of major powers.