Could you imagine if Iran, a terrorist-sponsoring, vilely anti-American state on the precipice of attaining nuclear weapons, was situated just below America’s southern border?

Pretty soon you might not have to imagine it; Hugo Chávez wants to make it a reality.

According to Bloomberg, “Venezuela[n] President Hugo Chávez said the South American country plans to develop a nuclear energy program with Russia ….” Chávez discussed his nuclear ambitions with Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia last week.

But apparently there’s no reason to be worried about South America’s preeminent anti-American, terrorist-sponsoring nation acquiring nuclear technology: “We’re not going to make an atomic bomb,” Chávez said on state television last week. “We’re going to develop nuclear energy with peaceful purposes.”

Others are a little more skeptical, and rightly so. The Hudson Institute’s David Satter wrote yesterday (emphasis ours):

The intention of Russia to help Venezuela develop a nuclear power plant is no more innocent than the help that Russia gave to Iran. Both Russia and Venezuela will emphasize that Venezuela has no intention of creating a nuclear weapon. But by facilitating contact between Russian and Venezuelan officials in the area of nuclear energy, the stage is set for black-market operations involving technology that can be used in nuclear weapons. Russian help for Venezuela can provide a cover for the development of nuclear weapons. Perhaps more important, it opens up a new channel for the transfer of Russian nuclear know-how—this time by way of Venezuela—to the enemies of the U.S.

As the Trumpethas explained, Hugo Chávez has put Venezuela at the vanguard of the growing anti-American movement in Latin America. Under Chávez, this energy-rich state has been transformed into a thriving hideout, breeding ground and launching pad for terrorists, including radical Islamic terrorists, wanting to enter the United States. And now Chávez is pursuing nuclear technology.