Milei's recent presence in Ushuaia triggers sovereignty concerns in Chile

Friday, April 12th 2024 - 10:12 UTC

Mayor Claudio Radonich of the southern Chilean city of Punta Arenas insisted this week that his country had “deantarticulated” over the past 30 years and urged the political leadership to be much more “intense” in matters concerning Antarctica given Argentine President Javier Milei's recent actions regarding the area when a United States base in Ushuaia was announced during US Southern Command Chief General Laura Richardson's visit.

While in Chile, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Latin America Kevin Sullivan said his country was cooperating with the Argentine project to promote scientific research, logistics, and commercial navigation in the area. Regarding Argentina's feud with the United Kingdom over the Falkland/Malvinas Islands, Sullivan said that his country had a neutral position which would not change after Richardson's mission.

In a radio interview, Radonich spoke of Santiago's in the face of the Argentine government's activism on Antarctic issues. He also underlined Antarctica's strategic importance and recalled that there was a controversy still to be resolved between Chile and Argentina regarding sovereignty over the Southern Sea and Antarctica.

Radonich also recalled the official visit to Antarctica, in November 2023, by President Gabriel Boric and the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, which he described as an “achievement” for Chile.

More:
https://en.mercopress.com/2024/04/12/milei-s-recent-presence-in-ushuaia-triggers-sovereignty-concerns-in-chile