Chile protests to Argentina over a military chief's remarks on the Strait of Magellan

On Monday, Chile's foreign ministry declared it will submit a protest note to Argentina following remarks made by Argentine Air Force General Staff Brigadier General Gustavo Javier Valverde. Valverde's comments, made in an interview with YouTube's La Fábrica del Podcast, centered on the importance of Chile maintaining a presence in the Strait of Magellan due to its global significance.

The remarks, however, sparked controversy as Chilean authorities and media interpreted Valverde's comments as an assertion of Argentine sovereignty over the southern passage. Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, speaking from Vietnam where he was on an official visit, reiterated Chile's complete sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan, citing the 1881 and 1984 treaties as the basis for this claim.

Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado dismissed the matter, stating that such assertions are unproductive. The foreign ministry's decision follows demands from lawmakers across the political spectrum. Chile's sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan, encompassing both the Magellan Passage and the Drake Passage, is supported by international law and two treaties signed between the two countries.

The Strait of Magellan, along with the Drake Passage, serves as a crucial shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Valverde, who was appointed to his position in November 2024, holds a background as a fighter-bomber pilot. No response has been issued by the Argentine government or Air Force at the time of this report.