Importación de tecnologías capital-intensivas en contextos periféricos: el caso de Atucha I (1964-1974)

in the first half of the 60's, after consolidating a line of development of research reactors and radioisotope production, the national atomic energy commission (cnea) of argentina decided to address the process of buying the first nuclear power plant in the country and latin america. this article aims at characterizing the decision-making processes of this particular type of technology, its selection, bidding, procurement and construction through from the point of view of "techno-politics" and "technopolitical regime", two concepts designed by gabrielle hecht. the following points will be considered throughout this article: (i) tensions between the national energy policy of the sixties and the institutional policy of cnea, (ii) the role of "institutional ideology" in the selection of this type of technology, (iii) the internal debates of cnea and its influence in the decision making process, (iv) the interference caused by the efforts of countries that export nuclear technology.