Chile's Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna affirmed the country's indisputable sovereignty over the Strait of Magallanes after evasive comments from government spokesperson Minister Mara Sedini and a viral video of an Argentine naval officer. The issue stemmed from a January podcast where Rear Admiral Hernán Montero claimed the strait’s mouth belongs to Argentina.
A video from a January podcast recently went viral, featuring Argentina's Hydrographic Naval Service chief, Rear Admiral Hernán Montero, who stated that the Strait of Magallanes is Chilean except for its mouth. Montero specified: “The mouth of Magallanes is Argentine. The mouth that joins Cabo Vírgenes with Punta Dúngenes and from there eastward is Argentine”.
On April 15, during a press point, government spokesperson Minister Mara Sedini was asked if the Foreign Ministry would send a protest note to Argentina. Sedini replied that the government follows existing treaties and that relevant ministers issue official statements. When directly asked if the government considers the entire canal under Chilean sovereignty, she declined to answer and left.
That same evening, Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna issued a public statement to clarify. “Chile's sovereignty over the Strait of Magallanes is indisputable and is based on two treaties: 1881 and 1984; Chile exercises full control over both shores of the Strait and ensures free navigation for all states, in accordance with international law,” he affirmed.
