Sir

Recently, Nature has given a lot of attention to science and technology in Latin America1,2,3,4. A key issue, however, needs to be addressed: in Latin America neither the public nor the private sectors, nor governments, acknowledge that science and technology development is an essential prerequisite for the cultural and economical advancement of society.

Scientific research is viewed as a marginal activity in Latin America. The construction of a strong local system of science and technology is not considered an important route towards development and cultural literacy in countries where most people lack basic health services, education and social security. It is not considered important for people's welfare amid poverty, underemployment, social marginalization, corruption and violence.

This attitude translates into fragile educational systems at all levels: poor academic standards among teachers, overcrowded classrooms, nonexistent or inadequate audiovisual equipment, violence at school, and a shortage of computers, laboratories and libraries.

Our countries allocate meagre budgets for scientific research and technology R&D, both in absolute value and in terms of the gross national product (GNP). This results in very low publication rates in local academic outlets (if any exist) and international peer-reviewed journals. This in turn, reduces the number of people participating in these activities and leads to frustration among enthusiastic young students, who lack any motivation to dedicate their lives to such endeavours. This causes an excessive brain-drain to developed countries, reinforcing the downward spiral: lack of opportunities to reverse underdevelopment, increasing poverty, and the ever-widening gap from developed countries in all aspects.

Historically, Colombia's investment in science and technology has been one of the lowest in Latin America, amounting to much less than 0.25% of the GNP. In 1993–94 a thorough study was conducted to diagnose and make recommendations concerning the state of education, science and technology in Colombia5. The study was carried out by a team that included, among others, such eminent members as biochemist Manuel Patarroyo, neuroscientist Rodolfo Llinás and microbiologist Angela Restrepo, and the Nobel prize-winning writer Gabriel García Márquez. Among the recommendations was an increase in science and technology education and research expenditure to 2% of the GNP by 2000.

Last year, the entire budget of Colombia's Institute for Science and Technology (Colciencias) amounted to less than US$15 million, around 0.17% of the GNP. The severity of this crisis was dramatically illustrated last month, when a first-world-based private bank repossessed all the scientific equipment of Patarroyo's Instituto de Inmunología, “on the basis of outstanding debts”6 . During recent years, this situation in Colombia has been exacerbated by a deep economic recession coupled with a bloody civil war.

In addition to the grossly insufficient development of science and technology in Latin America (which, I believe, is true of the developing world in general), the international scientific community imposes its own burdens. Journal subscriptions, memberships to scientific societies, page charges for accepted papers, registrations at scientific meetings, are all assigned with the research budgets of wealthier countries in mind. Hence they contribute to preventing scientists in low-income countries from participating in the worldwide scientific community.