ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

International Conflicts and Technoscientific Diplomacy: The Role of the US, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank in Argentine Fisheries Research (1974–1982)

• In Event: Science Diplomacy: Cooperation, Competition and Crisis 2

English Abstract

In the 1970s, relations between the United States and Argentina were shaped by geopolitical tensions and disputes over fishing resources. Although Argentina exported fish to the United States and received technological support for its industry, these ties deteriorated significantly following the military coup of 1976. U.S. sanctions against the military regime for human rights violations led to a breakdown in direct cooperation on fisheries research and industrial development.
This article argues that, despite such conflict, U.S. diplomacy indirectly contributed to the technoscientific development of Argentina’s fishing sector by acting through international organisations. To substantiate this claim, the study first examines how U.S. diplomacy promoted techno-commercial campaigns and scientific information networks as tools of intervention in Argentina’s trade relations. Second, it analyses the influence of the United States on the technical and financial assistance provided to Argentina by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Third, it explores the role of Argentina’s technoscientific institutions in developing knowledge that served diplomatic purposes.
Drawing primarily on diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, the analysis demonstrates that the intermediation of these international organisations was crucial in mitigating direct conflicts, thereby enabling progress in fisheries research, industrial development, and trade. This form of support—referred to here as “indirect cooperation”—allowed the United States to exert influence over Argentina’s fisheries development during a period of pronounced political estrangement.

Author

• Ezequiel Sosiuk, CCTS-Maimónides