Original article: Judd admite que el continente blanco está fuera de su jurisdicción, pero igual cuestiona reclamación chilena: “No hay una Antártica que pertenezca a Chile”

U.S. Ambassador Brandon Judd Questions Chile’s Claims Over Antarctica Amid Ongoing Controversies

The U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Brandon Judd, continues to stir controversy with his remarks on Chile’s internal affairs. This time, although acknowledging that Antarctica is outside his jurisdiction, he challenged Chile’s claim to the white continent, asserting that “There is no Antarctica that belongs to Chile.”

Judd made these statements on Tuesday during a virtual meeting organized by the Chilean Pacific Foundation. According to La Tercera, the Washington representative was asked about the future of the Antarctic system, the review expected for 2048, and discussions regarding sovereignty, as well as the role the United States will play in this debate and whether it is part of his mission to engage in the matter.

Initially, he stated that the issue was outside his diplomatic responsibilities, but he later addressed Chile’s territorial aspirations.

“Antarctica is outside of my jurisdiction, the Antarctic treaty system states that no territory belongs to any one country, therefore there is no Antarctica that belongs to Chile,” he asserted during the meeting.

Additionally, the U.S. representative referred to the claims of Santiago and Buenos Aires, which overlap in the white continent.

“There is territory that Chile claims and Argentina also asserts is theirs, thus there are competing claims in Antarctica, which is why the treaty system exists,” he stated, according to the cited source.

Judd’s Interference in Chile’s National Sovereignty in the Strait of Magellan

These comments about Antarctica went largely unnoticed amidst the controversy Judd sparked the next day by making interventionist statements regarding national sovereignty in the Strait of Magellan.

The American ambassador stated—among other things—that if Chile wants “a country to help protect its rights over the Strait of Magellan, if they want all those things, then they will also have to work with us on topics that are important to us.”

As expected, his remarks provoked widespread criticism and caused a stir both in La Moneda and the Senate, where its president, Senator Paulina Núñez (RN), along with the vice president of the Chamber, Iván Moreira (UDI), issued a statement questioning Ambassador Brandon Judd.

“In relation to the recent statements made by the U.S. ambassador to Chile, we want to reaffirm that our country’s sovereignty is not up for discussion nor does it depend on the backing, support, or recognition of any foreign nation,” stated the Senate’s official note.

“Specifically,” the senators added, “regarding the Strait of Magellan and our sovereign rights over national territory, Chile does not require conditions or external authorizations to defend what belongs to us, which is supported by our history, legal framework, and international law.

“Chile maintains cooperative relationships with the United States and many other countries, but these must always be developed on the basis of mutual respect, reciprocity, and, fundamentally, the independence and sovereignty of each state,” the note stated.

From the same Congress, PS Senator Gastón Saavedra expressed that “we cannot continue to allow the interference of an ambassador in matters of our country’s foreign, economic, and social relations,” recalling that “we have been adamant in demanding a note of protest from the Chilean State regarding the statements made by U.S. Ambassador Brandon Judd.”

Meanwhile, from La Moneda, Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez, when asked about Judd’s controversial remarks, declared that “we can defend our sovereignty by ourselves, we do not need the support of anyone to defend our sovereignty, we have been doing so for 200 years. That is what I want to convey to the people of Chile; we are here to defend our sovereignty, and we will always do so.”

Regarding a possible note of protest over the behavior of the Washington representative, the Foreign Minister assured that “it is something we will have to evaluate (…) what our reaction will be regarding his statements, I do not rule anything out until the evaluation is complete,” he stated.

Image: Mediabanco.