Chilean mayors demand special status for extreme southern territories

Mayors from the extreme southern regions of Chile presented urgent demands before the Chamber of Deputies' Commission on Extreme Zones to address isolation, demographic decline, and infrastructure gaps.

Karina Fernández, Mayor of Primavera, reported a severe demographic contraction in her commune, noting that the permanent resident population fell by 62.8% between 2017 and 2024. She highlighted a significant sovereignty imbalance compared to the highly populated Argentine sector of Tierra del Fuego. Fernández also called for improved connectivity and better management of the Bahía Azul transit node, where the municipality currently bears the cost of maintaining autonomous electrical lighting.

Patricio Fernández, Mayor of Cabo de Hornos, requested that the Chilean Antarctic Province be granted special insular status, similar to Easter Island. He argued that the extreme isolation of Puerto Williams justifies specific legal frameworks to manage geographic challenges. His proposal includes guaranteed aeromedical evacuations, health professional incentives, housing subsidies adapted to high local construction costs, and energy studies for a potential gas pipeline to Navarino Island.