Latin America’s nuclear history began to take shape in the 1950s when Argentina and Brazil launched peaceful nuclear energy programs. Both countries saw nuclear energy as a means of national development and scientific progress and embarked on the process of developing their own reactors. In the context of the Cold War, these efforts also became part of a regional power-building strategy. However, these developments also raised the suspicion of acquiring nuclear weapons.[1]
In this context, the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco made Latin America and the Caribbean the first nuclear-free zone.[2] While limiting nuclear activities in the region to peaceful purposes only, the treaty also established international inspection mechanisms. In the following years, Argentina and Brazil turned their nuclear rivalry into cooperation, establishing the Brazil-Argentina Nuclear Materials Inspection Agency (BANMIA) in 1991.[3] Latin America has thus provided the world with a model for nuclear cooperation and transparency.
Latin America is a region rich in radioactive element deposits. Countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay stand out in the region with their nuclear policies. While countries such as Argentina and Brazil are well advanced in nuclear energy technology in the region, other countries are progressing at a relatively slower pace.
Argentina is one of Latin America’s nuclear pioneers and a country rich in uranium reserves. Major uranium deposits include the Cerro Solo and Sierra Pintada fields.[4] These resources form the cornerstone of the country’s nuclear energy strategies. Argentina also has the capacity to develop and export its own indigenous research reactors and is taking its technological competence to the international stage through the State Applied Research Institute (SARI). By 2035, it is planned to extract 200 tons of uranium per year from the Cerro Solo mine and 150 tons per year from the Sierra Pintada mine.[5]
With uranium (U₃O₈) reserves of approximately 309,000 tons, Brazil ranks sixth globally and has the largest reserves in Latin America.[6] Even if Brazil’s world ranking is altered by the discovery of new uranium deposits, it is clear that the region will remain important. Mining activities continue in the Brazilian regions of Caetité (Bahia) and Santa Quitéria (Ceará). Brazil has also developed its own uranium enrichment technology at the Resende Nuclear Facility. Thanks to this infrastructure, the country is strengthening its nuclear energy independence. With its nuclear submarine project, Brazil tends to expand this capacity into the military sphere. This has raised international security debates.
Despite the uranium deposits discovered in the Chihuahua and Sonora regions of Mexico, the country does not currently have a program to exploit these resources.[7] In terms of power generation, Laguna Verde, the country’s only nuclear power plant, provides about 4% of the country’s electricity.[8] Mexico uses nuclear technology mainly for energy production and research and strictly adheres to disarmament regimes.
Peru is one of the leading countries in Latin America in terms of this resource, with thorium reserves of approximately 20,000 tons.[9] However, uranium deposits are limited and both thorium and uranium have not yet been put into economic exploitation. Nuclear activities are mostly limited to research, education and health applications carried out under the umbrella of the Peruvian Nuclear Energy Corporation (PNEC). No investment in nuclear reactors for power generation is planned. In 2016, Peru signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Russia.[10] This is an indication of Peru’s determination to pursue nuclear energy activities and Russia’s active nuclear policy in the Latin American region.
Although deposits with uranium and thorium potential have been identified in Bolivia, the country has not yet exploited these resources on an industrial scale. Several geological surveys have been carried out, particularly in the Potosí and Oruro regions. Bolivia’s nuclear ambitions are more oriented towards medical isotope production, agricultural applications and the development of educational infrastructure. Bolivia is also one of the Latin American countries engaged in nuclear cooperation with Russia.[11] Russia is carrying out serious infrastructure work in Bolivia to build and test nuclear reactors. In 2024, efforts to produce nuclear fuel in Bolivia yielded positive results and Bolivia made serious progress in the nuclear field.[12]
Paraguay is a country that attracts attention with its uranium potential and developments in the field of nuclear energy. In the Parana Basin in the southeast of the country, uranium deposits have been identified, especially in the Yuty and Oviedo regions. The uranium deposits in the Yuty region are expected to yield 200 tons of uranium per year by 2035.[13] U.S.-based Uranium Energy Corporation (UEC) is working on in-situ dissolution (ISL) uranium extraction in these areas. The Yuty Project has a measured and indicated resource of approximately 3,430 tons and an estimated resource of 860 tons.[14]
The nuclear activities of global powers in Latin America have been increasing remarkably. The United States of America (USA) is increasing its influence through the private sector, particularly in the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Argentina, and is working with Mexico on nuclear safety and technical cooperation. Russia, one of the most active actors in the region, has built a research reactor and nuclear technology center in El Alto, Bolivia, and signed nuclear cooperation agreements with Peru and Paraguay. China, on the other hand, signed an $8 billion investment agreement with Argentina for the Atucha III nuclear power plant project and established contacts with Brazil on nuclear technology sharing and fuel supply.[15] The activities of these powers in Latin America are important not only in the field of energy, but also in terms of strategic influence and geopolitical impact.
Since the mid-20th century, Latin America has embraced nuclear energy solely for development and scientific advancement, securing the principle of disarmament at the international level with the Tlatelolco Treaty. Today, the region is characterized by its rich uranium and thorium reserves, with countries such as Argentina and Brazil strengthening their own nuclear infrastructures, and countries such as Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay seeking cooperation with global actors. Great powers such as Russia, China and the United States are penetrating the nuclear field in the region through technological transfer, fuel supply and infrastructure investments. These developments reveal that Latin America has become one of the centers of nuclear strategies not only in terms of energy security but also in geopolitical equations.
[1] Redick, John R. Nuclear Illusions: Argentina and Brazil. Occasional Paper No. 25, The Henry L. Stimson Center, Dec. 1995. https://www.stimson.org/wp-content/files/file-attachments/Occasional%20Paper%20No.%2025%20December%201995.pdf, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[2] Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America. No. 9068, 14 Feb. 1967, Mexico City. United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 634, 1967, pp. 326–361.https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20634/volume-634-I-9068-English.pdf, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[3] ABACC (Brazilian–Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials). About ABACC. 2023, https://www.abacc.org.br/en/, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[4] International Atomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Energy Agency. Uranium 2022: Resources, Production and Demand. OECD Publishing, 2023. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2023/05/uranium-2022_057bc8a4/2c4e111b-en.pdf, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[5] Ibid.
[6] Silva, Naldicea Cunha Fernandes da, et al. “Uranium Exploration in Brazil and Its Consequences”, International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS), vol. 7, no. 10, Oct. 2020, pp. 161–175. https://ijaers.com/uploads/issue_files/17IJAERS-1020207-Uranium.pdf, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[7] James, David. “Mexico Discovers Uranium Reserves in Chihuahua and Sonora Regions Suddenly”, Blaze Trends, https://blazetrends.com/mexico-discovers-uranium-reserves-in-chihuahua-and-sonora-regions-suddenly/, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[8] World Nuclear Association. “Nuclear Power in Mexico”, World Nuclear Association, 2023, https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/mexico, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[9] Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear. Memoria Institucional 2022. IPEN, 2023, https://www.ipen.gob.pe, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[10] Instituto Peruano de Energía Nuclear, “Gobiernos de Perú y Rusia Suscriben un Programa de Cooperación en el Campo Nuclear”, IPEN, 2023, https://www.ipen.gob.pe/index.php/noticias/item/253-gobiernos-de-peru-y-rusia-suscriben-un-programa-de-cooperacion-en-el-campo-nuclear, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[11] Pelcastre, Julieta. “Russia Gains Foothold in Bolivia with Nuclear Plant Project.” Diálogo Américas, https://dialogo-americas.com/articles/russia-gains-foothold-in-bolivia-with-nuclear-plant-project/, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[12] “First Nuclear Fuel Produced for Bolivia’s Research Reactor”, World Nuclear News, https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/nuclear-fuel-manufactured-for-bolivia-research-reactor, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[13] International Atomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Energy Agency, ibid.
[14] World Nuclear Association. “Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries”, World Nuclear Association, https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/others/emerging-nuclear-energy-countries, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
[15] Atkin, Michael. “Argentina’s Atucha III Nuclear Power Plant”, PH241: Introduction to Nuclear Energy, Stanford University, Winter 2024, http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2024/ph241/atkin1/, (Accessed date: 04.23.2025).
