President Alberto Fernández and his delegation arrived in Antarctica on Wednesday to inaugurate three laboratories at the San Martín, Orcadas and Esperanza bases, despite difficult weather conditions.
With the visit, he becomes the fourth Argentine president to set foot on the white continent, joining the list headed by Arturo Frondizi, Raúl Lastiri and Carlos Menem.
"Only four presidents have visited Antarctica, and I am the first to do so in more than 20 years, and for this reason, I confess, I am deeply moved," said the President in a speech on national television, emphasisng that "here, at the end of the world, you can understand the dimension of the homeland."
Fernández left the city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego for the Argentine scientific station in Antarctica, which has been operating there since 1969. As part of the visit, the head of state inaugurated the first building of the National University of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands.
Spokesperson Gabriela Cerruti posted an image surrounded by Fernández's entourage including Minister of Foreign Relations, Santiago Cafiero, the head of Defence, Jorge Taiana, as well as the Secretary of Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic, Guillermo Carmona.
Also taking part in the visit are the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Guillermo Pereda, of the Navy, Julio Horacio Guardia, and of the Air Force, Xavier Julián Isaac.
The visit to the Marambio base coincides with the Argentine Antarctic Sovereignty Day, in commemoration of the first hoisting of the Argentine flag on Laurie Island in the South Orkney Archipelago, to the north of the Argentine Antarctic Sector.
Originally, the trip was originally planned in celebration of the May Revolution on May 25, 2022, but bad weather conditions postponed the departure.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Daniel Filmus, who also travelled with the president said the objective of the trip is "to promote research to preserve the environment. With this goal in mind, we are completing three new laboratories, built together with the Ministry of Defence and financed by the Ministry of Science," Filmus said.
– TIMES
–– TIMES/NA/Perfil
Comments