Chile’s President Gabriel Boric travelled to Antarctica’s South Pole on Friday, a place where no other Latin American president has set foot, according to the Chilean government.
Boric led the historic two-day trip, named Operation Pole Star III, to extend the environmental monitoring of pollutants on Antarctica, Chile’s government said in a statement.
He travelled with scientists, armed forces commanders and government ministers from the Chilean capital of Santiago to Punta Arenas, a city in southern Chile, public broadcaster Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) reported. From there, they made several stops before finally reaching the US-run Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, according to TVN.
Chile is one of seven countries that has a territorial claim in Antarctica, alongside Argentina, Australia, France, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.
It is also a signatory of the Antarctic Treaty, which dictates that the continent may only be used for peaceful and scientific purposes.
While Chile has historically carried out scientific activity in Antarctica’s northern sector, the country’s government is now hoping to expand research into the west of the continent, its statement said.
Boric called his trip to the South Pole an “honor” and a source of pride, TVN reported.
“This is a milestone for us. It is the first time a Chilean and Latin American President has visited the South Pole,” he said, according to TVN.
The Chilean leader said that his journey demonstrated “the commitment we have for (Antarctica) to be and continue to be a continent of science and peace,” TVN reported.
“It is also a confirmation of our claim to sovereignty in this space,” he said, according to the outlet.
“From here everything is north: there are only 12 flags flying. One of them is the Chilean flag and that is a source of pride.”
The 12 flags represent the nations that signed the original Antarctic Treaty: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
On Saturday, Boric posted a video of himself on X, standing in the snow and wearing a red jacket, black hat and sunglasses. “Good morning from Chilean Antarctica, where everything begins,” he wrote.