History
April 29th 1963
The banning of nuclear weapons in Latin America
The starting point of the persevering efforts that made the military denuclearization of Latin America possible was the Joint Declaration made public on April 29, 1963 by five Latin American Presidents, at the initiative of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, who directed, on March 21 of that year, letters were sent to the Presidents of Bolivia (Víctor Paz Estenssoro), Brazil (João Goulart), Chile (Jorge Alessandri) and Ecuador (Carlos Julio Arosemena), inviting them to jointly make “a Declaration by which announce our willingness to sign a multilateral agreement with the other Latin American countries, which establishes the commitment not to manufacture, receive, store or test nuclear weapons or nuclear delivery devices." Said Declaration would highlight the desire that that the rest of the Latin American nations could eventually adhere to, in order to constitute for our peoples a kind of liberating charter from all nuclear threats.
April 29th 1963
November 27th 1964
Preliminary Meeting on the Denuclearization of Latin America (REUPRAL)
Following the closure of the eighteenth period of sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, the Mexican Foreign Ministry began active consultations with the other Latin American Republics regarding the procedures that could be most effective for achieving the purposes contemplated in Resolution 1911 ( XVIII) on the "Denuclearization of Latin America." The result of these consultations was to be the Preliminary Meeting on the Denuclearization of Latin America that took place from November 23 to 27, 1964 and in which the majority of the Latin American republics that had voted in favor of the aforementioned resolution participated. The sessions of the Meeting were held in one of the buildings of the Independence Unit of the Mexican Social Security Institute located in San Jerónimo Lídice, in Mexico City.
November 27th 1964
March 22th 1965
Preparatory Commission for the Denuclearization of Latin America (COPREDAL)
In its second resolution, REUPRAL, acting as a constituent Assembly, created the Preparatory Commission for the Denuclearization of Latin America, to which it gave the very precise task of preparing “a preliminary draft of a multilateral treaty for the denuclearization of Latin America” and, for this purpose, previously carry out the studies and procedures that it considers pertinent. The Commission was also recommended to give priority in its work to the following issues:
- The definition of the geographical limits of the nuclear weapons-free zone.
- The study of verification, inspection and control methods.
- Carrying out efforts aimed at: a) achieving the collaboration of all Latin American republics; b) obtain that the States internationally responsible for territories located within the zone agree to apply to said territories the denuclearization treaty that may be concluded, and c) obtain from the nuclear powers the commitment that they would strictly respect, in all its aspects and consequences, the legal status of the denuclearization of Latin America.
- The definition of the geographical limits of the nuclear weapons-free zone.
- The study of verification, inspection and control methods.
- Carrying out efforts aimed at: a) achieving the collaboration of all Latin American republics; b) obtain that the States internationally responsible for territories located within the zone agree to apply to said territories the denuclearization treaty that may be concluded, and c) obtain from the nuclear powers the commitment that they would strictly respect, in all its aspects and consequences, the legal status of the denuclearization of Latin America.
March 22th 1965
February 14th 1967
Opening for signing of the Treaty of Tlatelolco
The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco) was opened for signature on February 14, 1967 in Mexico City.
February 14th 1967
December 20th 1967
Opening of the signing of Additional Protocols I and II of the Treaty of Tlatelolco
The Treaty of Tlatelolco contains two Additional Protocols. Additional Protocol I is addressed to States that de jure or de facto have territories under their international responsibility in the Zone of application of the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Additional Protocol II is aimed at nuclear weapon States
December 20th 1967
June 28th, 1969
Preliminary Meeting for the Constitution of the Organization for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (REOPANAL)
From June 24 to 28, 1969, the “Preliminary Meeting for the Constitution of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America” was held in Mexico City. Eight projects were approved that covered the following topics: the Regulations of the General Conference; the Agreement between OPANAL and the Government of the host State; the Convention on privileges and immunities of OPANAL; the OPANAL Secretariat Staff Statute; the OPANAL Financial Regulations; the OPANAL Budget for 1969-1970; the Scale of Quotas for the proration of OPANAL expenses, and the establishment of an OPANAL Operating Fund.
June 28th, 1969