Americas Quarterly - Winter 2009

Venezuela and Uruguay are also interested in nuclear power but have a long way to go. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has sought nuclear cooperation from Brazil, France, Iran, and Russia, but few suppliers appear to be biting, perhaps because Venezuela’s plans are not well defined. Meanwhile, Uruguay, which gets virtually all its electricity from hydropower, has mentioned nuclear power as a fu-

POLICY UPDATE

In the next 50 years, industry officials have reportedly suggested Brazil’s nuclear capacity could reach 60 GWe (Gigawatt electric) of nuclear capacity. This would require building about 58 more plants—a tall order considering that construction on the next reactor, Angra- 3, was delayed two years by environmental concerns. Brazil now relies on hydropower for 92 percent of its electricity production. The idea, according to Francisco Rondinelli, head of Brazil’s nuclear association, would be to diversify at least 30 percent of electricity generation equally into nuclear energy, gas and biomass.

Three other Latin American countries may seek to diversify into nuclear power. Chile, which uses hydropower and imported natural gas, is considering nuclear power to reduce supply vulner-abilities stemming from unpredictable rainfall and reliance on uncertain neighbors—namely, Bolivia and Argentina. But the fact that most of Chile sits on a geological fault line also presents a risk. Even if seismic concerns are somehow overcome, Chile will still face a daunting task in developing the necessary physical and intellectual infrastructure.

Argentina’s ambitious
plans to build five more
reactors by 2023 could
double nuclear’s share of
electricity generation.

ture option, but national laws banning nuclear energy would need to be overturned. Moreover, its withdrawal of plans for a natural gas plant in 2005 because of the cost ($200 million) and time of construction ( 26 months) suggests that a nuclear power reactor, which costs upward of $6 billion and takes at least four to five years to construct, may not be in the cards.

Even without a spurt in nuclear power generation, the expansion

of transmission grids between countries could be one potential solution to unpredictable energy supplies. The proposed Central American Electrical Interconnection System (SIEPAC) will connect 1,100 miles ( 1,770 kilometers) of transmission lines between Central American countries and Mexico. The extension of natural gas pipelines is also possible. And Brazil and Argentina have successfully covered shortfalls by selling each other electricity in off seasons.

Latin America is no exception to a global trend that sees nuclear energy as clean, green and homegrown. But like anywhere else, new nuclear power plants will require major political, financial and public support. The unknown variable now is the current economic crisis. Its anticipated dampening effect could provide breathing room to develop the intellectual support and physical infrastructure required for nuclear power. Or, it could extinguish the nuclear enthusiasm that has been growing for the past few years.

Sharon Squassoni is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

ABORTION

Women’s Rights

ANÍBAL FAUNDES

Abortion in Latin America presents an awkward paradox. The rate of abortion is the world’s highest — 31 for every 1,000 women aged 15 to 45 years, according to a 2007 World Health

Organization (WHO) report. Yet abortion is illegal in most countries in Latin America. Even in cases where it is permitted, legal restrictions far outstrip those of any other region.

The Catholic Church has been a key player in the debate, but surprisingly its influence has been

mixed. In small countries the church has been successful in helping to usher in far-reaching restrictions, while in the region’s most populous countries—Colombia, Mexico and Brazil—its influence has not stopped more progressive laws or their liberal interpretation.