David Concar, the United Kingdom's ambassador to Chile, arrived in Punta Arenas, where he met with the Chilean Antarctic Institute (Inach) and the acting governor of Magallanes, Hina Carabante. His visit coincides with the year's most tense moment between London and Buenos Aires over the Malvinas Islands, which the British call the Falkland Islands.
According to Emol, the diplomat highlighted ties between the two countries on his X account. "Very happy to visit Magallanes, which holds a special place in the relationship between the United Kingdom and Chile," he wrote. He also added that their shared history has connected the two countries "for generations."
Cooperativa reported that Concar visited the Monument to Ferdinand Magellan in Plaza Muñoz Gamero. La Prensa Austral reported that the embassy focused the agenda on polar science. According to the embassy, scientific cooperation is "one of the pillars" of the bilateral relationship in Antarctica. With Carabante, he discussed Antarctic science, marine conservation and ecosystem protection. The trade route to the islands does not appear on his publicly known agenda.
That route forms the backdrop to the visit. The Chilean shipping company Easter Island is preparing the voyage of the Chilean-flagged cargo ship Danstar, which will depart from Punta Arenas in December through the Strait of Magellan. It will carry food, construction materials, timber, machinery and other supplies to the South Atlantic archipelago, which is under British administration and whose sovereignty Argentina claims.
The dispute has escalated in recent days. Argentina filed a request with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to prevent the British from exploiting hydrocarbons in the area, particularly through the Sea Lion oil project. London responded forcefully. Foreign Minister Ed Miliband described attempts by Javier Milei's government to intimidate companies and individuals on the islands as "unacceptable."
Warnings directed at Chile also emerged from Argentina. Fernando Claudio Morales, president of the Argentine Naval League, said the Danstar could be detained in Argentine waters. He cited Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which allows the passage of a vessel that threatens national sovereignty to be considered "non-innocent." According to Morales, the cargo ship would carry logistical cargo for Sea Lion.
For Chile, the issue tests its relationship with two key partners. Argentina is its neighbor and shares navigation in southern waters with it. The United Kingdom maintains longstanding Antarctic cooperation with Chile. Regional authorities in Magallanes have ruled out the route violating Chilean foreign policy. For the region, the connection with the islands also represents a business opportunity for its commerce and port.
The concrete test will come in December, when the Danstar makes its first voyage. It will then become clear whether Argentina's warnings turn into measures against the vessel or remain at the diplomatic and judicial level.
