"FRANQUEANDO LOS UMBRALES DE LA REVOLUCIÓN ATÓMICA": LA INSERCIÓN DE LA ENERGÍA NUCLEAR EN CHILE (1947-1974)

This article studies the insertion of nuclear energy in Chile between 1947 and 1974, a process marked by tensions between the country’s scientific and technological aspirations and its structural limitations, both economic and institutional. The aim is to analyse how the Chilean state faced the challenge of adopting and developing nuclear energy applications in a global context dominated by the "atomic revolution" and the modernisation strategies promoted by the United States and the Western powers during the Cold War. It examines the factors that influenced the implementation of nuclear policies, including the debates surrounding state monopoly of radioactive minerals, dependence on international assistance, and the technical and financial challenges of advancing research in the area. Through a historical approach, the creation of the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CChEN) in 1965 is evaluated as a belated effort to institutionalise these advances, but it is concluded that the lack of resources, infrastructure and a consolidated scientific culture limited the impact of nuclear development in the country.