The tragedy in the Antarctic King George Island involving the Brazilian base should be “a great lesson for Chile” and is evidence that research scientists and military personnel coexist in Antarctica under “improvised conditions”.
A main border pass between Chile and Peru remains closed to all traffic because recent heavy rainfall and flooding have swept antipersonnel and anti-tank mines in the region, in some cases all the way to the Pacific, where beaches have been put out of limits.
British ambassador in Chile Jon Benjamin said that if Lan flights to the Falkland Islands from Chile are suspended this can only be interpreted as an “economic blockade” of the Islands and strongly suggested that the administration of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez is trumpeting the Malvinas card pushed by “domestic interests”.
Argentine President Cristina Fernández will make an official visit to Chile next month, amidst a power struggle as both Argentina and the UK struggle to gather support from the international community in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands controversy.
Chilean president Sebastián Piñera received a surprise phone call at his summer residence on Tuesday afternoon from PM David Cameron who referred to the current Falklands dispute.
After a successful turnout and demonstration last week, the Chilean community in the Falkland Islands will be deciding this week on addressing letters to President Sebastian Piñera and President of the Senate, Guillermo Guiralde to tell them that in the Islands there is also a piece of Chile.
Chilean Foreign Affairs minister Alfredo Moreno denied rumours that Argentina had requested Chile to join a blockade of the Falklands Islands and also reassured that the government of President Cristina Fernandez has not questioned the commercial air link between Santiago and the Islands.
One hundred members of the Chilean population living in the Falkland Islands were joined by 50 to 60 Islanders in a show of unity against the possibility that the weekly Lan Chile flight between Santiago and the Falklands might be discontinued at the request of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez.
Santiago media reports increasing disappointment in the Chilean government and private sector with the latest batch of Argentine measures to restrict imports and want the issue ‘top of the agenda’ when President Cristina Fernandez visits Chile at the end of the month.
Chile declared a public health alert this week over a hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people and infected at least 10 others and which have been blame of the wildfires of a very hot summer.