Chile’s president visited Antarctica on Friday to bolster his country’s territorial claims to parts of Antarctica amid growing competition there.
The delegation, including President Gabriel Borrick, visited the Amundsen-Scott Antarctic Station, an American research base. His office said it was the first time a Latin American president had set foot on the frozen continent.
Mr. Borrick called the trip a “landmark” and “a confirmation of our sovereign claim to this space.”
On the other side of the world, the Arctic has been thrust into the spotlight as climate change makes the region more important to global trade, opening up access to natural resources and intensifying military competition. In contrast, Antarctica is relatively under the radar.
But more than 100 years after explorers raced to plant their flags in the frigid polar desert, nations are once again beginning to openly compete for influence over the region.
The region is subject to the Antarctic Treaty regime, which states that “Antarctica shall be used only for peaceful purposes.” The Cold War-era agreement and subsequent agreements aimed to make Antarctica a military-free zone and manage competing territorial claims.
Over several decades, the system 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 research institute.
Many countries have long-established or new facilities in Antarctica conducting scientific research, some of which may also be used to explore the region’s strategic and commercial potential. Competition for this has quietly intensified in recent years and is likely to continue to do so, according to the report.
Although Antarctica’s harsh environment and treaty regime limit access to resources, the region has a rich marine environment and potential reserves of oil, gas and minerals. The inhospitable environment is also a great place for countries to apply technology to military applications.
Russia has stepped up efforts to build monitoring stations for GLONASS, a version of the Global Positioning System (GPS) that is also used for military purposes. In 2015, at least three Russian observatories were already operating in Antarctica.
In 2023, China announced plans to build a new satellite base in Antarctica, another project with potential military uses.
The treaty protects small reserves of iron ore, coal and chrome by prohibiting mining in the area. Estimates vary widely, but the region may have enormous oil and natural gas reserves. To the dismay of environmentalists, China and Russia are pursuing relaxed restrictions on krill fishing.
Aspects of the treaty related to environmental protection are due to be reviewed in 2048, but could be undermined before then.
Some signatories to the Antarctic Treaty have asserted territorial claims, many of which overlap, but other signatories do not recognize the territorial claims of others. Chile is one of the few countries to claim territory and has established a permanent settlement called Villa Las Estrellas.
Amid growing tensions over geological surveys reported by Russia in the Weddell Sea, South America’s southernmost Antarctic region, Chile attempted to strengthen its territorial claims by holding a meeting with Antarctic defense officials in May 2024 as a symbol of sovereignty.
Simon Romero contributed to the report.
