Chileans and Argentina
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- por Jorge Guzmán
- Columnas
El Mostrador, November 30, 2021
It is to be expected that, with the necessary care, the diplomacy of the next government will not only prioritize but also take advantage of the existing bilateral legal framework to address both issues candidly. This can be done by separating both matters from the bilateral contingency through the method colloquially known as “separate tracks.” This is because the resolution of all boundary issues with Argentina should not only eliminate any remaining distrust but also strengthen a community of interests that, especially in the southern region, promises great benefits for both parties.
The Argentine ambassador in Santiago is mistaken in labeling José Antonio Kast as “anti-Argentine,” arguing that such a condition derives from the presidential candidate’s opinion that Chile should, first, review its position on the Southern Ice Field and, second, that the issue of the Magellanic-Antarctic continental shelf should be a priority of our foreign policy. This is also because, like other political leaders of different affiliations, Mr. Kast has referred to the impact that Argentina’s claim to a continental shelf beyond what was agreed upon in 1984 may have on the future applicability of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship. A truly complex matter.
If from the Argentine perspective the issue of the Southern Ice Field and the continental shelf in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica are “resolved,” from the Chilean perspective they are not. In that context, Mr. Kast’s defense of Chilean interests does not imply—by any means—that it results from animosity towards Argentina and/or Argentines. It is the result of his concern (shared by citizens of diverse political sensitivities).
It happens that beyond political differences, there is a widespread consensus in Chile that in both boundary issues, hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of territory are at stake that deserve our concern and priority. This was evident at the beginning of September, when leaders and parliamentarians from all parties agreed on the importance of updating the projection of the continental shelf of the Southern Zone, including that of the Diego Ramírez Islands to the east of the meridian of Cape Horn.
The same occurred in October, when the Regional Council of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, led by its governor and supported by all members—representing from the Communist Party to the UDI—issued a statement expressing the “absolute support” of that collegiate body for the update of the continental shelf of Diego Ramírez. This came after the Argentine Senate had—according to the Buenos Aires press—”repudiated” the update of the limits of the Chilean shelf (inspired by International Maritime Law) and accused our country of “expansionism.”
It is important that, in this circumstance, the Regional Council in Punta Arenas also expressed its desire that “through dialogue, diplomacy, and law, the international difference generated by the Argentine reaction to the exercise of our international rights will be fully and appropriately resolved.”
Regardless of the outcome of the elections on December 19, it is now evident that, for Chileans, the
issue of the Southern Ice Field and the continental shelf in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica are matters that must be prioritized. However, this does not mean that the objective is to intentionally damage the bilateral relationship with Argentina, simply because Chileans are “anti-Argentine.” That is not the case.
It is to be expected that, with the necessary care, the diplomacy of the next government will not only prioritize but also take advantage of the existing bilateral legal framework to address both issues candidly. This can be done by separating both matters from the bilateral contingency through the method colloquially known as “separate tracks.” This is because the resolution of all boundary issues with Argentina should not only eliminate any remaining distrust but also strengthen a community of interests that, especially in the southern region, promises great benefits for both parties.
Jorge Guzmán
Associated Researcher, AthenaLab
