Resumo
In thisbriefarticle, we recall thepoliticalclimateofthe late 1950s whenthedecisionwasmadetocreate a regional physics center in theLatin American context in ordertostrengthenactions in favor ofthisscience. The novelty in thecreationoftheLatin American Physics Center wasthediplomaticcharactergivento it from its inception. Wealsodescribethefirstyearsofthe establishment andconsolidationofthisbody, whichoccurredsimultaneouslywiththe 1964 military coup in Brazil, the country where its headquarterswere (and still are) located.