Argentina Rejects Chilean Decree That Modifies Maritime Limits

On Thursday, Argentina’s opposition and pro-government lawmakers signed a declaration to reject Chilean President Sebastian Piñera’s decree whereby he unilaterally expands the limits of his country's maritime platform towards Argentine waters to the West.

RELATED:

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico Achieve Medals in Tokyo

"Piñera cannot expand his country’s maritime borders beyond what was agreed in article 7 of the 1984 Peace and Friendship Treaty, which set that Chile would have its exclusive economic zone to the West,” the Argentinan lawmakers recalled, vowing that they will put aside their political differences to seek a common national position.

The declaration of the Argentine Senate supports the work done by their State through the National Commission on the Outer Limit of the Continental Shelf (COPLA). Their work resulted in the 2020 Law of Maritime Spaces, to which Chile did not object.

"Chile intends to appropriate 5,000 square kilometers of the unobjectionable Argentine platform and 25,000 square kilometers of international maritime bed and subsoil," they denounced.

Following the tension unleashed by the Piñera decree, the Parliament of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) Vice President Oscar Laborde convened a dialogue process between Argentina and Chile.

The Argentine Foreign Affairs Ministry, however, stressed that the territorial dispute must be resolved through an arbitral tribunal, which must be established by both parties according to the Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

"Over the past 36 years, Chile had not expressed any objection to the limits of our maritime platform. This position is fully consistent with Argentina’s interpretation of the Treaty. However, we are confident that we will succeed in resolving our border disputes, as has happened over nearly two centuries," this Ministry stated.