In 1959, the Antarctic Treaty was signed between 12 countries with the main content of only being allowed to conduct scientific research and completely banning all military action in Antarctica. To date, there are 54 countries in the world participating in the Antarctic Treaty. Chile, along with the US, UK, France, Japan and Argentina, are six countries with their own research stations in Antarctica. The issue of national sovereignty is not raised in the above treaty.
Photo taken of Mr. Gabriel Boric in Antarctica last week
Mr. Boric created a new precedent when he personally visited Antarctica and established Chile’s right to sovereignty over Antarctica. To date, Mr. Boric is the first head of state in the world to visit Antarctica and also affirmed that Chile has sovereign rights in Antarctica.
Of the six countries that currently have research stations in Antarctica, Chile and Argentina are geographically closer to Antarctica. This geographical proximity played a decisive role in Mr. Boric’s decision to establish Chile’s sovereign rights in Antarctica. Earth’s climate change causes the seemingly eternal ice to gradually melt. Developing science, engineering and technology makes the exploration and exploitation of abundant natural resources in both the Arctic and Antarctic more feasible and more promising. The competition between many partners around the world to control territory in the Arctic and Antarctica has become more fierce.
Mr. Boric welcomes that development trend for Chile and intends to stay ahead of other partners to the extent possible and at a time when it is still possible to get ahead. The now inevitable consequence is that not only scientific research but also national sovereignty will become more vibrant in Antarctica, turning this cold continent into a new geopolitical hot spot in the world. gender.
