Piñera and Mujica committed to expand their countries Antarctic efforts
Uruguayan president Jose Mujica and his host and peer Sebastián Piñera said they are committed to expand and intensify the presence of their countries in Antarctica which they described as a “continent of peace and of the future”.
Piñera and Mujica arrived Friday evening to the Chilean base President Eduardo Frei in a Chilean Air Force Hercules C-130 for a two day visit. Fully dressed in Antarctic gear the two presidents started their visit with a tour of the Chilean base in spite of the minus 8 degrees Celsius.
“We are prepared to expand and intensify our presence in the Antarctic continent”, said President Piñera. He added it was “a real privilege to be at the Eduardo Frei base next to the President of Uruguay because we are marking sovereignty in this continent, as must be for countries such as Chile and Uruguay that have a deep Antarctic calling”.
Piñera pointed out that Antarctica is the most important biodiversity greenhouse in the world and one of the crucial labs for future research plus one holding one of the largest reserves of fresh water.
“We have a commitment and a very special responsibility in this continent of peace and of the future”, he underlined.
”We are confirming our willingness to strengthen our presence here so that Chile as one of the founders of the Antarctic Treaty and the country closest to Antarctica can fully develop its tasks and opportunities in this continent of the future” underlined Piñera.
Mujica said he fully supported every word of his peer Piñera and thanked the Chilean people and their president for all the help and logistics received to bolster and expand Uruguay’s presence in Antarctica.
“Mr. President your words are my words, thank you and the Chilean people for all your support”, said Mujica.
From the President Frei base, the presidential delegations travelled to the Uruguayan scientific base General Artigas a few kilometres away for a formal reception. The base was set up in 1984 and Uruguay is a member of the Antarctic Treaty since 1985 when it was admitted with the sponsoring of Chile and the UK.
Saturday’s program includes a lecture on the Chilean Antarctic effort on board the Chilean navy supply vessel “Aquiles”, a helicopter tour of the area, lunch at the Uruguayan base and in the evening the two presidents will celebrate the birthday of the Chilean First Lady, Cecilia Morel.
On Sunday the delegation will sail on the Aquiles to Greenwich Island to visit the Chilean navy base Arturo Prat and later Deception Island for a tour of the remains of Chilean and British outposts which had to be abandoned in 1967 because of a volcanic eruption in the area.
In the evening the two couples and delegations return to Punta Areas and later on the Chilean Presidential aircraft to Santiago. The following morning Mujica and the Uruguayan First Lady return to Montevideo.
This is the second president hosted by Piñera who last year organized a similar program for the Ecuadorean leader Rafael Correa. Ecuador a longstanding Pacific ally of Chile and also has a scientific base in Antarctica which operates with a significant logistics support from Santiago.
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22 comments Feed
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is upping the anti,
and this will backfire .
Over 50% of the antartic population is British, bigger presence there than anybody else.
”marking sovereignty in this continent, as must be for countries such as Chile and Uruguay that have a deep Antarctic calling”.
This is the revelant comment, and the excuse for claiming what has always been British territory.
Between Chile and the Falklands argentina is cut off from the antartic,
part of the reason for argentinas vehermence now over the Falkland.
Look at the Artic devision, Norway in, Sweden out, Denmark in because of Greenland. This is what is worrying the argentinian political class.
Chile and Uruguay cut Argentina out of Antarctica: 1 - 1
Score at half time: 1 - 1
I must say I am forced to place in serious question both your logic and your facts in your last comment.
First, your “statistic” that 50% of the population of Antarctica is British is politely risible. I immediately saw it and pounced as I know (from many independent sources), that it is at best a figment of your imagination (even without any information at and, just given the number of countries present it is possible for even the most uninformed of readers to surmise that no one nation could account for 50% of denizens there), or it was a patently temerarious comment. :)
Statistics not out of the INDEC, not a link out of some votary pro-British or Argentine website, or any epigones of such. From the “neutral” US census bureau (hardly a friend of Argentina's, and the U.K.'s closest ally):
www.indexmundi.com/antarctica/population.html
Second, Argentina is neither cut out nor truncated geographically from Antarctica. The dividing boundary between Chile and Argentina is not a horizontal line extending west-east (as some may assume because Chile seems to “wrap around” at the southernmost tip), but in fact north-south just east of Cape Horn. This implies (or signifies), that the southern half of the Drake Passage coast of Tierra del Fuego and Los Estados Island are Argentine waters as they are east of Cape Horn, and these coasts are completely unobstructed by any other political entity, all the way to the Antarctic Peninsula. In other words, the geographic example of Sweden is innaplicable.
To perorate my answer, Argentina is not cut out from anything. In fact it has a very strong position, as do others. The fact that many here try to minimize anything related to Argentina (in any category: economic, social, cultural, educational, geographic), is not due to any facts but simple tendendiousness given the type of people and opinions this website tends to attract.
Colonisation mentality lives
Look ignorant: Argentina HAS THE OLDEST BASE IN ANTARTICA,1904!!
Argentina has maintained a permanent occupation for more than a century, and controls the oldest base in Antarctica (Orcadas Station on Laurie Island).
The first Antarctican was born in Esperanza Base (Hope Base), namely Emilio Palma.
Argentina has sent more people to Antarctica than all the other countries together
I do not mind if you do not like Argentina(I do not like uk) so it fine with me.But reality and facts are there.....
What a crap the brits in this forum!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_Antarctica
OK I admit you have to add in the population of the Falklands to get to a figure like that, but no more ridiculus than “uk is OUT of the PIcture”
@8 Malvinero1
HAS THE OLDEST BASE IN ANTARTICA,1904.
Yes, on territory claimed by the british in1843.
Argentina may have open territory facing the antarctic, so does Britain.
The British claimed there territory in the antarctic when the United Provences extended approx 150 miles south of ba.
In that part of the world argentina and chile are comparatively new arrivals.
Stay in the Northen hemisphere where you all belong.
So Argentina can had Tierra del fuego(130000 ha.),is closer to Antartica than MAlvinas......
So you think that uk is IN THE PICTURE??
Well think again.
Debt external:
1 European Union $ 16,080,000,000,000 30 June 2011
2 United States $ 14,710,000,000,000 30 June 2011
3 United Kingdom $ 9,836,000,000,000 30 June 2011
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2079rank.html?countryName=United Kingdom&countryCode=uk®ionCode=eur&rank=3#uk
Good show,pugol...
No doubt what the native americans think about you.
The British claimed their territory in the antarctic when the United Provences extended approx 150 miles south of ba.
In that part of the world argentina and chile are comparatively new arrivals.
when the British arrived in the Antarctic it was uninhabited, unexplored and unclaimed.
Not so Argentina
The British claimed their territory in the antarctic when the United Provences extended approx 150 miles south of ba.
Sure pugol,but who lives in the area?/ The brits or Argentinians????
Argentina has The most bases,the oldest and the most people.This is for us,not for you!!
Do you want another figth???
is upping the anti,
and this will backfire ..
The British claimed there territory in the antarctic when the United Provences extended approx 150 miles south of ba.
In that part of the world argentina and chile are comparatively new arrivals.
Unfortunately for you,Spain claimed Antartica much earlier than uk..There are maps,dated from 1530,that shows Antartica.....
Argentina,has the Sucessor from Spain,inherithed the territories.....
Plus Argentina has FAR MORE INHABITANTS CLOSER TO ANTARTICA....So bye bye uk....It is South American times.....
as spain was sucessor of roman teritory,
does argentina thus claim amonged others
great britain .
Now get ready to stretch whatever you have between your ears. I know it's not a brain! And read this. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_National_Antarctic_Expedition
Be sure to read the whole thing now. Or do you need help with the longer words? You will see that the first permanent base was British (Scottish). It was called “Omond House”. Established in 1903. It was actually formally “given” to the Argentine government in January 1904, together with its furnishing, provisions and magnetic and meteorological instruments.
You see, you bunch of losers can't do anything difficult for yourselves. You have to wait until someone gives it to you.
And here's the really good bit. Even after being GIVEN a base, you made no claim until 1942. Briton, being far more intelligent, made its properly legal claim in 1908.
Fortunately, for you, current claims are not being advanced whilst the Antarctic Treaty is in force. Because shortly after that Treaty becomes ineffective, you will have NO bases in Antarctica. All of the current ones having mysteriously disappeared, together with their equipment and personnel, under the ice. One of the benefits of being a nation with submarines with sails (conning towers) specially designed and strengthened to break through the ice. But why would they? Just locate the argie bases from under the ice and fire torpedos until the ice gives way!
for their may be sharks circling, and awaiting to bite,
Get real.A debt 0f 130 billions dollar,and the 8th largest country,with inmense natural resources. and human resources....Well,do the math...not much to talk...
And human resources....
And lead by an obsessed deluded stalking Barbie doll.
Trying to play Action man.
.
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