“We have reached an agreement in principle with the Brazilian government to verify safeguards at the enrichment facility in Resende,” IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei told Mercopress. Washington has increasingly used the IAEA as its tool for curtailing the ability of governments like Brazil, Iran, and other countries from producing the nuclear fuel they need to expand electrification.

The Workers Party government had denied the IAEA entry to the plant earlier this year. The accord grants the UN “inspectors” limited access to the centrifuges in the enrichment process. Brasilia had demanded this provision in order to “protect technological and trade secrets.”

Brazilian science and technology minister Eduardo Campos announced the Resende plant would begin operations before the end of the year. Plant operators will carry out a six- to eight-month trial period before going on line to produce large enough quantities of uranium to power the Angra I and Angra II nuclear power stations. Campos projected this will be fully accomplished by 2010. Currently Brasilia sends its uranium to Canada and Europe for processing, receiving it as a gas in return, before finally converting it into fuel for energy generation.  
 
 
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