The president of Chile visited the South Pole on Friday in a bid to strengthen his country’s claims to a portion of Antarctica, as competition in the region slowly grows.
Gabriel Boric, the president, and a delegation of officials visited the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, an American research base; the first time, his office said, that a sitting Latin American president has set foot on the cold continent.
Mr. Boric called the trip “symbolic” and “affirming our claim to sovereignty in this space.”
On the other side of the world, the Arctic has taken notice of climate change making the region more important for global trade, opening access to its natural resources and intensifying military competition there. Antarctica, by contrast, stayed relatively under the radar.
But after more than a century of explorers rushing to plant flags in the cold hot desert, countries are once again fighting for influence in the region.
The area is governed by the Antarctic Treaty System, which mandates that “Antarctica shall be used only for peaceful purposes.” A Cold War-era treaty and subsequent treaties aimed at demilitarizing Antarctica and managing competing territorial claims.
For decades, the plan has been largely successful in establishing international consensus on the region, according to a 2023 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
Many nations have long-established or new colonies in Antarctica conducting scientific research, some of which may be used to explore the region’s capabilities and trade opportunities. The competition to do this has quietly intensified in recent years, and it looks like it will continue to do so, according to the report.
The harsh environment of the Antarctic and the treaty system have restricted access to its resources, but the region has a rich marine environment and potential sources of oil, gas and minerals. The desert is also a good place for countries to deploy technology for military applications.
Russia has increased efforts to build monitoring stations for GLONASS, its version of the Global Positioning System, which experts say is also used by the military. At least three Russian stations were already operating in Antarctica in 2015.
China in 2023 announced plans to build new satellite stations in Antarctica, another project with possible military applications.
The agreement prohibits mining in the region, protecting small reserves of iron, coal and chromium. Estimates vary widely, but the region may also have large oil and natural gas reserves. To the dismay of environmentalists, China and Russia are pursuing relaxed krill fishing restrictions.
Aspects of the agreement involving environmental protection will be reviewed in 2048, but could be undermined before then.
Other signatories to the Antarctic Treaty have also made territorial claims – many of which overlap – while others do not recognize the territorial claims of other countries. Chile is one of the few countries that is looking for a place, and it has installed a permanent residence called Villa Las Estrellas.
Chile sought to strengthen its territorial claims in May 2024, holding a meeting with Antarctic defense officials as a sign of sovereignty amid tensions over reported Russian surveys in the Weddell Sea, an Antarctic region off South America.
Simon Romero responsible reporting.
Source link
