MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile de-mining with sophisticated Pentagon equipment

The first week of November the Chilean Ministry of Public Works in coordination with the Chilean Army are scheduled to begin a new de-mining phase in the extreme north of the country to continue eliminating antipersonnel and anti tank mines, reports the Santiago de Chile press.

According to a release from the PW ministry a special de-mining self propelled armoured unit and equipment facilitated by the United States Defence Department will be used in the task to clear the border areas in the north of Chile. Apparently the equipment can stand the blast of an antitank mine at four meters distance and will be tested for the first time in South America. The de-mining is in the framework of the Ottawa convention and covers an area along the border with Peru, which will enable to advance in the construction of a highway linking both countries. The Humanitarian De-mining Department from the Chilean Army will have the main task in the job which includes clearance in signalled and fenced patches with an estimated 6.000 anti personnel and anti tank mines, which were planted beginning in the mid seventies. Next month the camp from where operations will be conducted is expected to be set up and once the sophisticated US equipment arrives filed work is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2009. Apparently for security reasons the detection and withdrawal of mines will be done at night, while in daylight the explosives will be destroyed. This will demand an extended security and safety perimeter including banning traffic in nearby roads, points out the report. The Chilean PW ministry will be responsible for the coordination with other government offices and departments regarding security measures. Chile in the seventies, under the regime of Dictator Augusto Pinochet was fearful of its neighbours, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina and planted thousands of mines along border areas it considered strategic in the extreme north and extreme south of the country.