He is the first Latin American head of state to set foot on Antarctica. Chilean President Gabriel Boric visited the South Pole as part of the Polar Star III expedition. Before him, only two other leaders, from New Zealand and Norway, had made this trip, more than ten years ago. This time, Gabriel Boric wishes to reaffirm Chile’s presence on the white continent, which is one of the countries that claims sovereignty.
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With our correspondent in Santiago, Naïla Derroisné
It took the Chilean president 36 hours to reach the American Amundsen-Scott base in Antarctica from Santiago.
Gabriel Boric was accompanied by two of his ministers, commanders-in-chief of the armed forces and several scientists.
Two hours on site
With -25 degrees, they only stayed there for two hours. But the Chilean president took the opportunity to recall that his country “ is the world’s main gateway to Antarctica, which is and must remain a continent of science and peace “.
This is also what the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959 stipulates and which also indicates that the white continent does not belong to any nation, even if today there are seven countries claiming sovereignty, including Chile. From 2048, this treaty can be discussed again.
Strong actor
With this visit, Gabriel Boric is taking the lead in positioning Chile as a strong player in this region highly coveted for its oilby China, Russia, the United States and even Argentina. Chile, on the contrary, wants to strengthen scientific research in Antarctica as well as the preservation of biodiversity.
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