A frankly complicated weekend was experienced once again by the thousands of motorists who were trying to cross from the island of Tierra del Fuego to the mainland and vice versa; which constitutes a problem that occurs year after year and that does not seem to have a solution in the short or medium term.

In an endless queue of vehicles, including many cargo trucks, they remained stranded for long hours in the vicinity of Primera Angostura (Chile) waiting to board the barge that would cross the Strait of Magellan. Most headed north, and in to a lesser extent South, towards Tierra del Fuego. Once again, Christmas and New Year's Eve are brandished by the responsible authorities, on both sides of the border, without even imagining a possible solution on the horizon that would provide an answer to the endless problem.

The other converging factor, common at this time of year, is the fierce wind that raged in the area this time, which added difficulty to the possibility of crossing according to the vacationers' plans. A weather alert on Friday directly caused the suspension of the barge service, a situation that continued for endless hours due to the resignation of the hundreds of families stranded there. As if to add even more fuel to the fire, the Secretary of Civil Protection of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, Daniel Facio, denounced on Radio Fueguina that, despite his attempts to improve border management, “this effort is harmed when the same commitment is not present on the other side.” “We are creating a round trip to expedite the procedures, but we have to understand that it is foreign territory, where the provisions are different,” he complained, and added bitterly that “we have to be grateful that at least they let us cross.” for any response.According to official statistical data, about 5,500 people left the province of Tierra del Fuego on Friday and Saturday alone.

On Sundays, the border in San Sebastián on the Chilean side remains closed without attention to the public, said the official. The well-known problem of the long waits to cross the Strait of Magellan by barge, plus the poor attention at the border posts - in the Argentines, but especially Chileans -, the crossing project through Argentine waters is revived once again, which is evident as indispensable to solve a long-standing problem. However, judging by the characteristics of the current initiatives underway, a mega long crossing project between Argentine ports entering the open sea, will be totally inadequate for the needs that are intended to be covered. Rather, it will become an exorbitant and unjustified expenditure by the State in the execution of a work that will only bring benefits to the private sector that build.

Sources: Crítica Sur https://criticasur.com.ar/nota/36011/el_viento_trae_complicaciones_y_se_suspendio_el_cruce_de_la_barcaza_en_primera_angostura/ Sur 54 http://www.sur54.com/estas_fechas_son_complejas_y_maxime_si_se_suma_los_temporales_de_viento_como_los_que_estamos_ vivir_sostuvo_facio La Opinión Austral https://laopinionaustral.com.ar/argentina/mas- 10-km-of-camiones-y-autos-remained-stranded-a-la-espera-de-poder-cruzas-en-barcaza-449847.html Ovejero Noticias https://www.ovejeronoticias.cl/2020 /01/barge-crossing-in-first-angostura-of-the-strait-of-magellan-is-suspended-due-to-bad-climatic-conditions/

Por Agenda Malvinas