Bulgarian Antarctic Expeditions Still Stuck in Chile

Diplomacy | January 17, 2011, Monday // 13:42|  views

3 Residents and tourists protest in a street of Punta Arenas, capital city of the Chilean region of Magallanes, 14 January 2011. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The two Bulgarian Antarctic Expeditions, one returning and one incoming, are still blocked in Chile, which has significantly interfered with their scheduled research activities.

The Bulgarian Embassy in Chile has contacted the representatives of all other EU states in the country and asked them to help with the expeditions' further transportation. On Monday, it is expected that the incoming Bulgarian expedition will fly with a Brazilian Airlines' plane to the King George island, where their research station is located.

The Bulgarian mission has been blocked in the Chilean port city Punta Arenas due to a strike against expected 17% hike of natural gas prices in the

As a result of the strike, the Bulgarian expedition, which is returning from the Bulgarian Antarctica base on the Livingston Island is trapped in the city of Punta Arenas, while the Bulgarian expedition of scientists arriving to take over from them for the next few months in Antarctica is stranded on the Argentina-Chile border.

The returning Bulgarian expedition was transported from the island of Livingston, where the Antarctic bases of Bulgaria and Spain are located, to Punta Arenas on Saturday by a Spanish navy ship. The incoming Bulgarian expedition is now supposed to cross into Chile, and to sail off to Antarctica from Punta Arenas. Both expeditions have seven scientists each.

During the clashes between strikers and police in Punta Arenas, at least 2 people were killed and 38 got wounded. Thousands of tourists have also been stranded on both sides of the Chile-Argentina border because of the riots and strike.

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Tags: Bulgarian, antartctic, expedition, Chile, riots, Strike, tourists, EU

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