Treaty of Tlatelolco
Text of the Treaty
The Treaty of Tlatelolco prohibits the development, acquisition, testing and deployment of nuclear weapons in the Latin American and Caribbean region. It consists of a preamble with its objectives, a Control System to verify compliance and two Additional Protocols intended for extraterritorial countries, including those possessing nuclear weapons.
Zone of Application
The Zone of application of the Treaty of Tlatelolco is the sum of all the territories of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. The extension of the Application Zone is greater than 20 million square kilometers, including oceanic areas, where a population of more than 600 million people lives.
History
During the Cold War, Latin American and Caribbean States perceived that the possible intrusion of nuclear weapons would make the region a target for possible nuclear attacks and would fatally provoke a ruinous arms race. Consequently, the States of the region began a negotiation process that culminated in the adoption of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.