"Why should we be asked to use slingshots while others point their cannons at us. Brazil will only be respected when it is strong economically, technologically and militarily," Silva said about the Nonproliferation Treaty.
Six weeks later, as president-elect, Silva said his government would never consider building an atomic bomb and respect the treaty.
Worries that Brazil's technology could fall into the wrong hands has also stoked international fears.
Brazil has the world's sixth-largest uranium reserve and has had the capacity to enrich uranium since the 1980s, but has so far only done so for research purposes.
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