Chavez had announced days earlier that the countries were discussing possible collaboration on civilian nuclear work and that the matter was likely to come up during Russian Presthident Dmitry Medvedev’s planned trip to Venezuela on November 26.

"A nuclear reactor, to produce energy for peaceful purposes, will soon be built in Estado Zulia and named in honor of the Venezuelan scientist of the last century Humberto Fernandez Moran," Chavez said.

"Brazil has several nuclear reactors, as does Argentina. We will also have our own reactor," he added