Minister of Economy and Mining Daniel Mas said the government will safeguard national sovereignty and compliance with the law ahead of the upcoming voyage of the Chilean vessel Danstar, which will connect Punta Arenas with the Falkland Islands, according to BioBioChile. So far, no other outlet has confirmed the information.
The project seeks to restore a maritime route to carry food, construction materials and other products to the archipelago. The Falkland Islands are under British administration, but Argentina maintains its sovereignty claim over them.
That claim explains the tension. According to the outlet, Argentine authorities warned of possible consequences for companies that contribute to the islands' economic activity.
Mas distanced himself from those warnings. "It is an agreement, it is a business arrangement between private parties; we are going to let it continue operating along those lines," he said. He added that the executive branch sets the framework and that its task is to safeguard sovereignty and ensure that laws are followed.
There is a specific piece of information behind the concern. According to BioBioChile, Chilean intelligence reports warn that Argentine forces could intercept the vessel during its first voyage. That trip is scheduled for late November or early December.
In Argentina, the president of the Argentine Naval League, Fernando Morales, threatened to stop the Chilean vessel. The source does not specify what actual capacity that organization has to carry out the threat.
In the Chilean Congress, positions differ from the government's. Senator for Magallanes Alejandro Kusanovic argued that the issue goes beyond a private agreement because the Municipality of Punta Arenas was involved, representing the state. "All the variables and effects have to be taken into account," he said.
Senator Rojo Edwards directed his remarks at Buenos Aires. He noted that the route seeks to supply a population with chicken, meat and milk. "I hope there will be rationality" on the part of the Argentine government, he said.
For Magallanes, the venture is commercial: opening a nearby market for products from the far south. The risk is diplomatic. Chile and Argentina share one of the world's longest borders and a relationship that the government seeks to avoid straining.
The Danstar's first departure, in late November or early December, will be the test. So far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not commented on the issue, according to the available information.
