The NPT, the Treaty of Tlatelolco, and the Future of Nonproliferation

Abstract

After more than two decades of concern about the nuclear programs and policies in Argentina and Brazil, there is room for optimism about Latin America. Its incorporation into the international nuclear nonproliferation regime is well advanced. The 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco, which established a regional nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ), is nearing completion. A signal event occurred January 18, 1994, when Argentina and Chile deposited instruments of ratification to the treaty. Brazil completed ratification on May 30, 1994, leaving Cuba the only major country in Latin America that is not yet a contracting party. Cuba, which held aloof from the Tlatelolco process for three decades, has stated its willingness to join the zone in the future.