Chile Denies Argentina’s Claim of Joint Patrols in the Magellan Strait
CHILE · ARGENTINA
Key Facts
- —What happened Argentina’s defence minister said the two navies run combined patrols in the Strait of Magellan.
- —The response Chile’s defence minister denied it the same week.
- —Chile’s position The strait is guarded and controlled exclusively by the Chilean navy.
- —What does exist A combined Antarctic naval patrol, and a joint exercise in the Beagle Channel area.
- —The legal basis The boundary treaties of 1881 and 1984.
- —The unresolved item An Argentine decree of 2021 describing the strait as a shared space remains in force.
One minister described joint patrols and the other said they do not exist. Both were describing real naval cooperation, and only one of them was describing the strait.
Argentina’s defence minister said on television that the two navies patrol the Strait of Magellan together. Chile’s defence minister said that is not the case.
The Exchange
On 11 September, Argentine Defence Minister Carlos Presti said there is combined patrolling between the Argentine and Chilean navies in the strait.
Chile’s Defence Minister Fernando Barros rejected that directly.
The waters, he said, are guarded and controlled exclusively by the Chilean navy.
He added that combined activity is confined to two specific arrangements, neither of which covers the strait.
What the Two Navies Do Together
The first is the combined Antarctic naval patrol, in which both navies cover search and rescue in Antarctic waters each season.
The second is an exercise conducted in the Beagle Channel area.
Both are long-standing, and both are examples of successful cooperation between the two countries.
Neither takes place in the Strait of Magellan. That is the whole substance of the disagreement.
Why the Strait Is Sensitive
The Strait of Magellan lies entirely within Chilean territory, under the boundary treaty of 1881 and the 1984 peace and friendship treaty.
Chile’s foreign ministry describes its sovereignty there as indisputable. Argentina has not formally contested it.
The strait is one of two natural passages between the Atlantic and the Pacific at the southern tip of the continent. Its value is strategic rather than commercial.
It is also the physical expression of a border settlement that took a century to complete.
How the Row Started
On 23 August, the head of Argentina’s air force described Magallanes, the south and the Drake Passage as matters of sovereignty.
Chile’s foreign ministry responded by citing the two treaties.
On 3 September, presidents Javier Milei and José Antonio Kast met in Santiago. Their joint declaration affirmed Chilean sovereignty over the whole strait.
The following day Argentina’s foreign minister described the country as bicontinental and bioceanic, and the friction resumed.
The Decree Nobody Has Signed Away
An Argentine decree from 2021 describes the strait as a shared space for exploration, study and control.
It has not been repealed. Chilean officials say an amended text has been awaiting the Argentine president’s signature since March.
That unsigned amendment is the practical core of the dispute. Everything else is commentary on it.
Chile’s lower house has voted to summon the foreign minister to appear on 28 September.
Mendoza Is a Different Story
Some coverage has attached the province of Mendoza to this dispute. There is no Chile-Mendoza incident.
Mendoza is exposed to the relationship through infrastructure rather than friction. The Cristo Redentor pass carries around 1,300 trucks a day.
The GasAndes pipeline also runs through the province. Governor Alfredo Cornejo has an agenda for the bilateral committee in October.
That agenda covers pass upgrades and tunnel projects. It is trade business, not a sovereignty argument.
What Is Not Known
Argentina has not clarified or withdrawn the minister’s remark. No correction has been issued.
It is not known when or whether the amended decree will be signed.
For shipping and for residents of the far south, nothing operational has changed. The disagreement is diplomatic, and the strait is being policed as it was before.
More: Chile news and analysis, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Argentina’s defence minister say?
That the Argentine and Chilean navies conduct combined patrols in the Strait of Magellan.
How did Chile respond?
Defence Minister Fernando Barros said the strait is guarded and controlled exclusively by the Chilean navy.
Do the navies cooperate at all?
Yes. They run a combined Antarctic naval patrol and an exercise in the Beagle Channel area.
Who has sovereignty over the strait?
Chile, under the boundary treaty of 1881 and the 1984 peace and friendship treaty.
What is the 2021 decree?
An Argentine decree describing the strait as a shared space. It has not been repealed.
Is Mendoza involved?
No. Mendoza’s interest is in road and pipeline links, not in the sovereignty argument.
Sources: Ministerio de Defensa de Chile, Emol, La Política Online, Mendoza Today.
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