O'Higgins Antarctic Base
The London daily The Guardian last week published a story saying the United Kingdom plans to claim more than 1 million square KM (360 thousand square miles) of Antarctica's ocean floor and south Atlantic islands. The claim includes Antarctic territories claimed by Chile and Argentina. The news prompted the Chilean government to action to counter the UK's claim.
Following a cabinet meeting Monday Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley, reaffirm Chile's claim of sovereignty on land from the Antarctic Peninsula to the South Pole. Foxley says Chilean claims are protected. He says “there's an agreement signed (by all the 12 countries party to the Antarctic Treaty) in 2004 that prevents unilateral government decisions that would lead to a UN resolution on borders and seabed claims. The 1959 Antarctic treaty freezes all claims, in other words the Antarctic Treaty protects Chile's interests.”
Chile has an active Antarctic presence that includes a number of military and scientific bases. Chile is also the staging point to many Antarctic explorations, scientific missions and a growing tourist industry. In 1947, Chile opened its first Antarctic base; currently Chile has 3 permanent bases on Antarctica, and 13 semi-permanent and summer bases.
Chile’s claim of the Antarctic Peninsula that stretches from parallels 53º West to 90º West of Greenwich to the South Pole, dates from a Decree signed in 1940. The Decree covers the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands, Alexander I Island, Ellsworth Land covering 1.250 square KM.
The head of Chile's Antarctic service Roque Tomas Escarpa says he was surprised by the British decision. He told local radio that he had news “the UK wanted to expand their seabed territories around the Falkland Islands, but this news catches us by surprise.”
Like in Santiago, the UK decision did not go down well in Buenos Aires. Argentina has claimed territories east of the Antarctic Peninsula as its own, after renouncing claims to the Peninsula in the 1950s. Mariano Memolli head of the Argentine Antarctic Service called the UK decision to claim the seabed that includes the South Atlantic Islands and Antarctica British “colonial attitudes.” He added that is up to the Southern Hemisphere nations to decide on Antarctica’s future.
Argentina’s claim of Antarctic territory lies west of the Peninsula 53º West to 70º West to the South Pole. In 1948, Chile and Argentina signed a treaty of mutual defence and protection of the so-called South American Antarctica territories that stretch from parallels 25º west to 90º west from Greenwich to the South Pole.
In Congress, politicians are demanding a strong Chilean response to the UK challenge, demanding larger budgets to the Antarctic Service and an increased military presence in the region. Next week a delegation from Congress will make a trek to Antarctica to reassert Chilean presence.
