Chile's Pres. Gabriel Boric Visits South Pole

JAN 4 2025·Updated JAN 6 2025

Story

Above: Chilean President Gabriel Boric delivers a speech during the inaugural Antarctic mission of the icebreaker Almirante Vial. Image credit: Cristobal Basaure Araya/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Facts

Chile's Pres. Gabriel Boric visited the South Pole on Friday, becoming the first Latin American leader to reach the Earth's southernmost point. This comes as Chile christened polar icebreaker AGB-46 Almirante Oscar Viel last July.
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Boric — accompanied by several officials, including defense and environment ministers, for the two-day trip — stayed at the Amundsen-Scott Base.
PressTV
CNN
Reaffirming Chile's claim to sovereignty over part of Antarctica, Boric said his visit underlined Chile's determination to play an important geopolitical and scientific role in the region, especially in projects involving climate change.
DAWN.COM
The Daily Guardian
Chile's research efforts have so far focused on the northern part of Antarctica. However, a statement from the presidency said the country aims to expand its activities to the Bellingshausen and Weddell Seas.
guardian
Several countries — including the UK, France, and Norway — maintain territorial claims in Antarctica. However, only the prime ministers of New Zealand and Norway had visited the South Pole before Boric.
BBC News
International organizations, including the British Antarctic Survey, Antarctic Logistic Expeditions, the Antarctic Program of the United States of America, and the Antarctic Program of the United Kingdom, supported Boric's trip.
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Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Antarctica isn't a country; the continent is a scientific haven, a land of undiscovered resources beneath the ice, devoid of government or indigenous populations. Under the 1961 Antarctic Treaty, all sovereignty claims over the territory, including Chile's, are suspended. Boric's visit to the land of cooperation—with scientific bases of several nationalities—raises questions about the intentions behind it.

guardian

BBC News

British Antarctic Survey

Narrative B

The South American country is working intensively on promoting science and research and uniting diplomats and the armed forces to ensure that it becomes the world's gateway to the Antarctic. Boric's visit is part of Operation Pole Star III, which aims to extend environmental protection and monitoring of natural and anthropogenic pollutants in the region and underscores the nation's scientific commitment to the continent.

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