The head of Squadron No. 43 of the National Gendarmerie, Walter Soriahas informed Migrations, Chilean Customs and Carabineros the closure of the Mina Uno and Cancha Carrera border crossings (Don Guillermo) in the coalfield from the 12:00 pm today Saturday June 22/24Due to the lack of bottled gas at the respective stationson days when the temperature reaches 16 and 20 degrees below zero and the accumulation of snow and ice makes transit to and from Chile difficult.
The border crossings are supplied with gas packaged in zeppelins supplied by the company SUR GAS S,A, who has informed the national authorities and the National Gendarmerie that due to the state of the routes, the provision of bottled gas is impossibleindicating as the probable date of regularization of the supply on June 30/24.
As a result of the emergency, yesterday Friday at 6:00 p.m. an extraordinary Coordination meeting, between the authorities of Chile and Argentinawhere the situation and the impossibility of functioning in the current climatic and building conditions were exposed, added to the lack of heating, which makes it impossible (and inhumane) for the staff to remain in the area of attention, security, migration and Customs of the passes. mentioned borders.
Likewise, it is not ruled out that for the same reasons, in the next few hours/days, the passage Southern Integration, you must suspend the care service. So far, Mount Aymond is functioning normally and it will depend on the supply of gas to supply the border post, for it to remain open in the midst of a truly adverse climate reality throughout the region.
The energy situation and the shortcomings in the infrastructure is an old problem, never resolved by the different governments, as OPI has exposed in these years where we have given well-founded evidence of the shortcomings suffered by the personnel who work there and the times that lack of electricity, gas or services, the border crossings with Chile in the province of Santa Cruz have had to close with the inconveniences of the case. (OPI Agency Santa Cruz)
