AH challenge: Mexico gets the Atomic bomb

Remember that both Argentina and Brazil had nuclear weapons programs, but were talked out of it by the U.S. Maybe the Argentines built 1 or 2 anyway.. Never Know?

We didn't. Had there been no Falklands war and had the junta not fallen in 1983, we might have gotten one or two by the end of the 80ies. The nuclear program started in the late 70ies (the military junta took power in 1976), but the facilities needed to enrich uranium were only finished in 1984, when a democratic government (no longer interesed in building nukes) was in power. The facilities were closed around 1990 by the government that folowed, due to international presure (by then the facilities had only a civilian nature).

I don't complain. I prefer to live in a democratic country without nukes than in a dictatorship with nuclear weapons.

But, back on topic, I don't see why Mexico couldn't have developed nuclear weapons by itself. The only reason I think that it would have been much harder for Mexico to develp them than it would have been for much poorer countries to do the same is that Mexico is right next to the US border, and the US wouldn't be happy to have a neighbour with nuclear weapons. The'd probably try to discourage any Mexican nuclear weapons program. They'd only accepted a nuclear armed Mexico if we lived in a world where nukes where far more common, and every medium-sized country had them; or if the US were in a much more dangerous position in the cold war and having and ally with nukes was seen as esential for the US own survival (let's say, the Nazis had won and conquered all Europe, and the "Cold war" had taken place against them).

Without these premises, a nuclear mexico is very difficult: not because Mexico couldn't have build them (If N.K. could, everybody else can), but because they (i.e. the U.S.) wouldn't have let them.
 
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*Musing*
In 1926 the "Calles Laws" are passed and the outcry against the anti-catholic laws in Mexico are even larger than OTL. It quickly escalates into a violent rebellion, but this time many militias and federal soldiers refuse to fight against the church-led rebels. The Catholic rebels receive financial support from catholics in the US. The Federal government orders more draconian methods in order to destroy the rebel forces, but that just creates more sympathy and portions of the army defect. It comes to a head in 1928 when a Catholic army marches on Mexico City and seizes the government, ending the war. The American Ambassador recognizes the government and offers American assistance in rewriting the constitution and repairing the economic damage in exchange for an agreement on allowing American oil exploration.

The Catholic schools are reopened nationally and the property of the impoverished is no longer being seized without payment by the government. The initial American funds (not too many, since the great depression starts soon) and the drilling for oil help the economy and create the Mexican Miracle, a sustained period of robust economic growth, in spite of the global recession.

Mexico sends support to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War unlike OTL. After the war ends, relations between Spain and Mexico will remain friendly, in spite of some discomfort among the Mexican government over Franco's despotic nature. Mexico also fights in the 2nd World War.

After the World War, Mexico becomes a founding member of NATO, with the interest of checking the spread of communism. Trade with the United States increases and Industry continues to be developed. In 1954, Mexico is supplied with an experimental reactor by Canada and heavy water from the United States to do research into a nuclear power program.

In 1961, Mexico assists the CIA in training for the ill fated Bay of Pigs invasion. As a result, Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba and during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Mexico is threatened with annihilation right alongside the United States. The state resolves to become a nuclear power in 1963.

Using a smallish group of scientists, assistance from the United States (Until 1968) and the reactor they were supplied with, Mexico manages to construct a Little Boy-design bomb and tests in 1973, becoming the seventh nation to do so. They build an arsenal of six bombs before ceasing production.
 

MacCaulay

Banned
In 1961, Mexico assists the CIA in training for the ill fated Bay of Pigs invasion. As a result, Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba and during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Mexico is threatened with annihilation right alongside the United States.

If you just started with this, then you wouldn't need the Mexicans to make the bomb.

That's what I keep trying to tell folks, but they keep ignoring me.

The Americans were all to happy to station their own nuclear weapons on foreign soil in the Cold War. Canada, Germany, Britain, others. They all had tactical and strategic American nuclear weapons on them.

If the Americans feel that a strike could be coming to their shores and the flight paths of the incoming Soviet bombers would be passing through Mexican airspace or over the Gulf of Mexico, then it's a very small leap of logic to say that the USAF or USN would want to station BOMARC nuclear anti-aircraft missiles in the Yucatan peninsula.
 
If you just started with this, then you wouldn't need the Mexicans to make the bomb.

That's what I keep trying to tell folks, but they keep ignoring me.

The Americans were all to happy to station their own nuclear weapons on foreign soil in the Cold War. Canada, Germany, Britain, others. They all had tactical and strategic American nuclear weapons on them.

If the Americans feel that a strike could be coming to their shores and the flight paths of the incoming Soviet bombers would be passing through Mexican airspace or over the Gulf of Mexico, then it's a very small leap of logic to say that the USAF or USN would want to station BOMARC nuclear anti-aircraft missiles in the Yucatan peninsula.

Yup, I ignored you because I didn't really care to just have the US station nukes. I decided to go the full mile.
 
Have a senario where Mexico rather then Cuba turn communist and recive nukes from Soviet.

That first part would have to happen before the end of WWII. Communist influence on anything but the fringes of MX society was largely gone by the mid 40s. It'd actually be more likely under a scenario where Trotsky took power in the USSR after Lenin rather than Stalin.

I can't see any scenario where Stalinists would hijack a revolution overtaking MX, and thus no reason the 2nd part of the scenario would happen.
 
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