MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan president postpones Antarctica trip due to bad weather

Antarctica has a geopolitical value for Uruguay, García explained

Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou's trip to Antarctica has been postponed due to bad weather, Defense Minister Javier García announced Friday in Montevideo.

Lacalle was to leave for the South American country's Artigas scientific base on Monday “to ratify and commit ourselves once again to Uruguay's participation and presence in Antarctica” but his departure has been rescheduled. He might now leave on Tuesday, García also said.

The minister insisted Antarctica was “a strategically fundamental place, as it is the largest freshwater reserve in the world.” He also recalled Uruguay was one of the 28 countries included in the Antarctic Treaty. “In the United Nations there are almost 200 countries represented, but in the Antarctic Treaty there are only 28 and among them Uruguay, the most powerful countries in the world and Uruguay got in there 40 years ago,” he elaborated. García also spoke of the region's geopolitical, strategic and national “value.”

Lacalle Pou's trip to King George Island, where the Artigas Antarctic Scientific Base founded 40 years ago is located is to be performed aboard a Hercules KC130 aircraft. The head of state is to spend some 24 hours at the base.

“Everything is programmed, now let's hope that the weather helps because everything depends on the meteorology; the idea is to be there 24 hours, but well, it will depend, the president has programmed between Monday and Wednesday to see where the meteorology fits to go,” García also explained.

Antarctica “has an issue related to mineral prospecting in the not too distant future and Uruguay is in that select club, because it is a very select club, where the most powerful in the world are and Uruguay is there,” insisted the minister.

According to Montevideo media, Lacalle would travel to Antarctica together with his children. The President is due back on Dec. 21 for engagements in the Department (province) of San José.