| Summary: | This thesis addresses the possibility of a Brazilian "hidden agenda" in order to support one of the most advanced nuclear research and nuclear power programs in Latin America. From the early 1970s to the late 1980s Brazilian military leaders pursued the development of nuclear weapons. With the emergence of democratic regimes during the 1980s, these covert projects were halted or terminated. The civilian administration in Brazil is now supporting an ambiguous and uncompromising position by not ratifying significant agreements renouncing nuclear weapons programs. With Brazil still rejecting the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), not formally embracing the Tlatelolco Treaty (which prohibits nuclear weapons in Latin America), and now allowing full implementation of inspections and International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) Safeguards on its nuclear facilities, the future of the Brazilian nuclear program appears to be a dormant but potential political factor in Brazilian foreign policy.
|
|---|
