POLíTICA NUCLEAR
Multilater:al Disarmament Efforts
In
discussing "multilateral disarmament efforts" as they relate to
Latin America there was no disagreement with the view that the
increasing investment in nuclear energy both in Latin American
and in other regions does incr,ease the risks 'Of nuclear weap'Ons
proliferation. Nor was there any disagreement that several Latin
American nati'Ons have or are nearing the ability to devel'Op nuclear
explosiv,e devices although most participants were of the view that
at present no Latin American nation appears to be deliberately
pursuing such a policy. AH participants supported the goal of glo–
bal and regional non-proliferation but there were considerable dif–
ferences on the value of existing multilateral non-proliferation ef–
forts and their effects on Latin American countries.
In
this regard
we discussed the merits and demerits of five multilateral non-prolif–
eration effDrts:
The International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA),
The Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT) ,
Nuclear Supplier CDDperation
The International Fuel Cycle Evaluation
(INFCE),
and
The Treaty of TlatelolcD.
IAEA.-
In
respect
tD
the
IAEA
aH participants were quite support–
ive Df its exceHent work mentioning in particular the fact that the
IAEA
facilita tes the flow of information on nuclear matters from
highly advanced nations to developing nations. There was consider–
able discussion of the current prDgrams by which the
IAEA
is assist–
ing Latin American nations. However it was pointed
'Out
by sorne
participants that in the future the
IAEA
may be less able to assist
those Latin American natiDns with relatively advanced nuclear pro–
grams., Such nations as Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Chile have
reached a point in their nuclear development where they genuinely
need the assistanGe of the most advanced nuclear nations which, it
was pointed out are showing an increasing reluctance to share sDph–
isticated nuclear technology.
There was considerable discussion regarding the safeguard activ–
itíes of the
IAEA
but many participants stressed that these safe-
