
A symbolic ceremony launching the reconstruction of Brazil's Comandante Ferraz Antarctic base was held at the Chilean Antarctic Institute in Punta Arenas with the attendance of top officials from both countries. The Brazilian base, located in King George Island was a total loss back in February 2012 caused by a fire that started at the power room.

Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile is encouraged by the cruise industry prospects for its port and facilities: this season Norwegian Sun has returned with at least ten calls and for 2016/2017 a line will be cruising to Antarctica with Punta Arenas as a home port.

A Philippine crew member from the Norwegian Sun cruise vessel jumped overboard before reaching a port in South Chile and has been declared 'disappeared' by the Chilean navy which organized a rescue operation.

Chile's flag carrier Lan is celebrating this week the seven decades of its first commercial flight between Santiago and Punta Arenas, extreme south of the country, opening the region to closer trade, tourism and investment opportunities. Actually Lan in the thirties and forties, when the company was first starting did in effect make regional flights from Punta Arenas to nearby places mostly on rough landing strips.

Chile anticipates a 30% increase in cruise activity in the extreme south of the country, mainly Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, announced Lorena Araya, head of Magallanes region National Tourism Service, Sernatur.

An indication of interest has been forthcoming from Chile's flag carrier LAN in relation to bringing in a larger aircraft to cope with the volume of passengers and freight to the Falkland Islands.

The Chilean Army is involved in anti personnel-mine sweeping operations in the Magallanes region, north of Punta Arenas, as part of the country's commitment to have the region free of all mines by 2020 thus complying with the Ottawa convention.

Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions, ALE, reports with great sadness the death of polar expeditioner Henry Worsley at a hospital in Punta Arenas, Chile, after complications caused by bacterial peritonitis. Henry returned from Antarctica on January 23 after nearly completing his Shackleton Solo Expedition.

Sir Mark Walport, the British Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of Science and Engineering Profession, arrived in Chile on 21 January. He has been invited by the Chilean Senate to participate in the Futures Congress, in which national and international scientists, analysts and thinkers, analyze the most significant issues, challenges and achievements in the world of science.

The United States Carrier Strike Group 9 which is participating in a series of 'Unitas' exercises with different Latin American and Pacific countries, anchored off Punta Arenas and is scheduled to leave on Monday for Rio do Janeiro, Brazil, according to reports from the extreme south Chilean city port.