The ambiguities of Brazil in the nuclear area and the Argentine "strategic patience" (2002-2010)

Abstract

This article discusses the ambiguities of Brazil regarding the nuclear area during the administrations of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. To do so, the text uses the speeches of important politicians and members of government bodies to analyze the erratic positioning of Brasilia in the face of the commitments made with Argentina since the Quadripartite Agreement (1991) and the founding of the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC). Other source categories used are newspaper articles-Brazilian and international-and confidential files leaked by the nongovernmental organization WikiLeaks. Finally, it is sought to evaluate the role of ABACC as an instrument to sustain the Argentinian "strategic patience" within the framework of the sensitive nuclear area.