US Transfers Enriched Uranium from Venezuela, Sparking Regional Backlash

DID Press: US Department of Energy says that 13.5 kilograms of enriched uranium from a research reactor in Caracas has been removed from Venezuela and transferred to the United States, in an operation that has triggered widespread political and media reactions across Latin America.

According to the statement, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) carried out the operation in cooperation with experts from Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The material, reportedly enriched above 20 percent, was taken from the RV-1 research reactor.

Regional analysts say the move follows years of political and economic pressure by Washington on Caracas and reflects growing U.S. influence over strategic infrastructure in Venezuela.

While U.S. officials described the transfer as an “improvement in nuclear safety,” media outlets in Latin America have characterized it as a unilateral and coercive removal of Venezuela’s strategic resources.