Resistance to Uranium Mining in Argentina

This chapter explores resistance to uranium mining in Argentina, a leading country—along with Brazil and Mexico—in researching and developing nuclear technology in Latin America. Drawing on a theoretical and methodological framework rooted in Social Movements and Science and Technology Studies, the study of this case in the region shows the emergence of collective actors who have revitalized and updated the long-standing struggles of Argentinean anti-nuclear movements and their outcomes. It focuses on two central aspects of controversy in uranium mining. Firstly, it examines how resistant actors frame uranium mining as a form of extractivism, contrasting it with nuclear promoters’ visions of energy self-sufficiency and control over the nuclear fuel cycle. Secondly, it delves into its characterization as an unsustainable, environmentally unjust, and polluting activity. This meets the opposition of atomic technology advocates who stress the need for nuclear power as a sustainable tool to fight climate change and an essential part of the energy mix. The chapter sheds light on the complex dynamics of resistance to uranium mining in Argentina and its impacts on the nuclear energy sector. Moreover, it tries to contribute to a deeper understanding of the social, political, and cultural factors shaping the development and perception of nuclear power within the context of environmental and social movements.