▁as ▁to ▁the ▁Amazon ▁Rain for est ) ▁and ▁the ▁S out heast ▁Region ▁of ▁Brazil ▁( and ▁to ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro ▁and ▁São ▁Paulo ). ▁Before ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁air field ▁travel ▁was ▁only ▁possible ▁by ▁following ▁a ▁much ▁longer ▁coast al ▁route . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁work ▁was ▁done ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁upgrade ▁the ▁facility ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁center ▁of ▁weapons ▁testing ▁for ▁Brazil ian ▁Ar med ▁Forces ▁with ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons . ▁Rum ored ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁carried ▁out ▁with ▁techn ological ▁aid ▁from ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁government , ▁ ▁it ▁was ▁initially ▁ordered ▁by ▁military ▁dict ator ▁Ern esto ▁Ge is el ▁and ▁ran ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁At ▁its ▁conclusion , ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁character ized ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁as ▁such , ▁" B raz ilian ▁phys ic ists ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁military ▁was ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁years ▁away ▁from ▁having ▁the ▁materials ▁- ▁ 2 0 ▁to ▁ 3 5 ▁pounds ▁of ▁weapons - grade ▁en rich ed ▁u ran ium ▁- ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁H iro sh ima - type ▁bomb ." ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁it ▁was ▁de comm ission ed ▁in ▁a ▁ceremony ▁for ▁media ▁and ▁scientific ▁officials ▁by ▁the ▁then ▁President ▁of ▁Brazil ▁Fernando ▁Col lor ▁de ▁M ello ▁who ▁symbol ically ▁threw ▁a ▁sh ov el ▁full ▁of ▁concrete ▁into ▁an ▁over ▁ 1 ,