Among the ABC countries tiff South America (Argentina, Brasll,hile ranksvery distantnuclear energy development. But Santiago la pushing ahead with Its infant program and in.eJl likelihood ia intent on emulatlrg lta larger and more advanced neighbora. chile's largely European character, Ilka that off Argentina, haa helpedora progressive level off scientific education than that found in most of the southern hemisphere. This pool off trained personnel ia being augmented by peraense received advanced training outside tho country; especially In tho United States end Europe.
Although Chile now is concentrating itsefforts on developing energy for peaceful uses, it can be expected toapability to produceby5 when its first nuclear power plant i* scheduled to begin operation. The door to the nucle-ar weapons route would then be open.
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Chile has one operative nuclear research reactor. La Reins, and another, Lo Aguirre, is under Both era- located near Santiago. The newestwhich is scheduled to be completed byillreactor purchased from Spain and utiliseercent enriched uranium fuel purchased from France but processed in Spein. For all practicalt, will!bef operated under military auspices. The two facilities are expected to produce radioisotopes for nuclear;research and use in medicine, mining, and hydro-
* these research reactors
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considered too small! to produce plutonium, the technical and scientific progress that will flowy-product will take Chilean scientists andong stride toward eventual.propagation of thiseisentlal ingredient inuclear li'IH' , ,
>; The principal existing deterrent to Chile'sto produce The Bomb is adherence to the Tlatelolco Treaty, which prohibits the manufacture and use of nuclear weapons and declares Latinuclear free sone. Chilo isignatory to tho Nouproliforation Treaty;-
'j Officials of the Pinochet government hove stated emphatically that Chile does not plan to acquire the capability to develop nuclear weapons, but thisis likely to be conditioned by how Chileanswhat their neighbors sre doing. SensitivityArgentine and Peruvian intentions would figure prominently in Chile's determination of what is in its own natlonal'iinterest. '.
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lready has shown apprehension *bout chile's nuclear program,1
suspicions nasea on long-sranaxngof course, will only spur both
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"The Nonproliferation Treaty, signeds the central agreement concerning international nuclear weapons]control policy. Under its provisions, the signatory{states possessing nuclear weapons (US, OK, and USSR) agree to provide nuclear material or technology
only to; non-nuclear states that accept safeguards on
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toward more sophisticated military ventures. Econcnic considerations will certainly limitavailable for nuclear expansion, hut the Argentineseems to suggest that this would not be an insurmountable obstacle.
! Chile ie currently obtaining most of itsassistance and equipment from Spain. Chileuclear technical cooperation agreement with nrar-li inut not much appears to have corns from it. With Spanish assistance, Chile has undertaken feasibility studies for constructionuclear power plant The executive director of the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission. Owimander Marmaduque Abarzua, stated recently that specialists from Spain, Argentina, and Chile are working tothe rational and coromercial utilization of reactors existing in all three countries." It is very doubtful that Argentina will share its technologywith its Andean neighbor, however.
un auiipicesore concerted effort tosources of uranium in thehancessignificant deposits are rated 1'avorableknown mineral wealth. Like Argentina,like to be independent of. outside sourcess tratoglc material
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hileitt decision touclf weapon is not an imrnineiit concern, Santiago's pursuit of broader technological achievement along this line is indicative of the trend among growing numbers of Third World nations that view entry onto the nuclearign of prestige and, in cases where potential adversaries are situated next door,ecessity.
Original document.
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