The Latin American nations with most activities in terms of space law and space policy are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay.
Space law is studied in 50 Argentine universities through the Chairs of Maritime, Air and Space Navigation. Specifically, the University of Salvador (Buenos Aires) created an autonomous Chair of Air and Space Law in 1960, and the post-graduate National Institute of Air and Space Law (INDAE) founded its Chair of Space Law in 1962. Scientific research is pursued in this Institute, as well as at the Institute of Legal and Social Space Research (Director A.A. Cocca) and at the Institute of Air and Space Law and Telecommunications (Director: M. A. Ferrer). The University of Buenos Aires has approved theses on space law since 1953. There are the following curriculum courses: Law of Telecommunications (since 1988), Introduction to Space Law (since 1993) both in the charge of M.M. Esquivel. There are post-graduate courses on the Prospective of Legal Science: Advanced Studies in Space Law (1988), and The Rights of Humankind Related to Environment (1993), both administered by A.A. Cocca.
The Argentine bibliography on space law (Cocca, Ferrer, Williams, Fernández Brital, Esquivel, and Ford) contains over a thousand titles.
The Argentine Association of International Law, the Latin American Air and Space Law Association and the National Meetings of Air and Space Law, organise bi-or tri-annual congresses covering space-law issues. The Inter- American Courses on Outer Space Law began to be given in Buenos Aires in 1993.
As far as space policy is concerned, the National Commission on Space Activities approved a Space National Plan (1995 - 2006) in 1994. The Nahuel C-1 and Nahuel C-2 domestic satellite system will operate until 1996, when a definitive system is to be put in place. The Argentine scientific satellite SAC-B also will also be launched in 1996.
The Brazilian Society of Aero-space Law offers two annual space-law courses, one basic and one advanced. In December 1994 it organised the seminar 'Brazil and Space Law', at which the legal documents from the 1950's up to the present day were reviewed, as well as the Brazilian legislation, international treaties and bilateral agreements. The National Institute of Space Research (INPE) has also organised a meeting on Brazilian legislation in a force on space activities and on ways and means of improving international cooperation. In 1994, the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) was created and the country has the domestic satellites BrazilSat and the Data Collection Satellite, launched by its own launcher. The Inter-American Institute for Global Change is located in Sâo José Dos Campos.
In Chile, space law is taught at the University of Chile (Santiago), the Catholic University of Chile, Concepción and others, as a part of the course on Public International Law. The Chilean Institute of International Law has incorporated space law in its research programmes. The Chilean Professors R. González Aninat (Univ. of Chile and Ambassador Delegate at COPUOS), J. Irigoin (Univ. of Chile) and H. Varela Valenzuela (Catholic Univ. of Concepción) have taught at the Inter-American Course on Outer Space Law.
The Mexican Academy of Space Law (President: A. Francoz Rigalt) organises conferences and symposia. M. Seara Vazquez, author of one of the first theses on space law (Univ. of Paris), teaches space law within the Chair of Public International Law at the Autonomous University of Mexico. Young jurists that stand out for their theses, articles, books and participation in international congresses include: A. Martínez Cranss, J.H. Castro Villalobos (member of the Mexican Foreign Service) and M. Mejía. Mexico has a domestic communication satellite system known as Morelos, and has permanent space development programmes.
The University of Montevideo created a Chair in Space Law in 1970, occupied by A. Bauzá Araújo, who is also President of the Uruguayan Institute of Air and Space Law, which organises international space-law symposia. Research is conducted by the CIDAE (Centre of Research and Diffusion Air and Space Law), directed by E. Gaggero. This official body edits its own journal and organises national and international meetings. B. Araújo and E. Gaggero served as professors in the Inter-American Courses on Outer Space Law in 1993 and 1994. The Presidency of the Inter-American Committee for the Global Change is based in Montevideo, Uruguay where the Third Space Conference of the Americas will take place in September 1996.
ECSL News No. 16