Contamination and Impact

The Republic of Chile is affected by antipersonnel and antivehicle mines and, to a very limited extent, by explosive remnants of war, which may include cluster munition remnants.[1]

Mines

The mines were all laid on Chile’s borders with Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru during the Pinochet regime in the 1970s. The mined areas are generally difficult to access and mostly in unpopulated regions. Some minefields in the north are located as high as 5,000m above sea level, although the vast majority of the mines are located in two of the remaining four mine-affected regions.[2] As of 2012, mined areas remained in Antofagasta, Arica, Magallanes y Antártica Chilena, and Tarapacá regions.[3] Chile reported in May 2013 that as of December 2012 they had 15.24km² of mined area and 112,354 antipersonnel and antivehicle mines remaining to clear by March 2020.[4]

Although Chile reported to the Standing Committee meetings in 2013 that there were no mine accidents in 2012, there were, in fact, at least two in the Arica region which borders Peru.[5] On 19 February 2012, Chile closed Route 5, the main highway in the north of the country, for two days after torrential rains and flooding caused an unknown number of antipersonnel and antivehicle landmines to move and appear between Arica and the Peruvian city of Tacna. No mine incidents were reported. Then, on 26 May 2012, a taxi going to Peru drove through a marked minefield in Quebrada de Escritos in Arica region and hit an antivehicle mine that detonated, killing the driver. No other casualties were reported.[6] Chile omitted this incident from its reporting to States Parties.

In response to the movement of mines to Peruvian territory in June 2012, Peru and Chile commissioned Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) to clear the mined area, and by December 2012 NPA had completed clearing approximately 300 mines.[7]

On 14 August 2012, Chilean media reported another mine incident close to the border with Peru when a deminer was injured while clearing mines between road markers number four and five near the city of Arica.[8] This is nearby the area where the taxi driver was killed in May by an antivehicle mine. According to Chile’s Article 5 deadline Extension Request, the area between the city of Arica and the border with Peru, a distance of approximately 55km, has 68 mined areas covering approximately 9km², containing 66,035 antipersonnel mines and 37,400 antivehicle mines.[9]

In August and October 2013, two more accidents occurred in the same area involving Peruvian and Colombian nationals who were seriously injured. National authorities in Chile and Peru tend to dismiss the incidents because they involve illegal border crossings and possible contraband. A National Humanitarian Demining Commission (CNAD) official was quoted in the local media as saying only that much progress has been made in clearing mines on the border since 2003, though apparently not enough progress.[10]

Cluster munition remnants

Chile has identified four areas contaminated with cluster munition remnants. The four areas are located at military training bases in three regions where all types of ammunition have been used during routine training exercises. The 96.88km² of contaminated area represents the total size of the training area where cluster munitions were used.[11] The actual area of cluster munition contamination within the training area may be smaller than the table below indicates.

Cluster munition contamination

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

CNAD is responsible for mine action in Chile. Its main functions are to advise the President, mobilize resources, coordinate humanitarian demining with state agencies, and develop plans for complying with the Mine Ban Treaty. CNAD is chaired by the Minister of National Defense and includes the undersecretaries of foreign affairs, health, and treasury, plus the armed forces’ Chief of Staff and the heads of the General Staff of the armed forces, as well as CNAD’s executive secretary.[12] The Chilean mine action program is executed under the auspices of the Ministry of National Defense.

Land Release

Chile reported that by the end of 2012 they had cleared 38.2%, or 69,460 of the remaining 181,814 antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, and 34.32% of the 23.2km² of contaminated area, leaving 15.24km² and 112,354 mines to clear by March 2020.[13]

In the absence of available annual clearance figures for 2012, the cumulative achievements reported for the end of 2012 appear to represent clearing slightly more than 1km². Chile cited two earthquakes and severe flooding as reasons little demining occurred in 2012.[14]

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the eight-year extension request granted in 2011), Chile is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March 2020.

In its March 2011 extension request, Chile cited bad weather, remote mined areas in high altitudes, the difficult terrain, and the different types and conditions of the mines as the main reasons for needing additional time.[15]

In reply to a question from the Analysing Group of States Parties about shortening the time needed to clear all mined areas (based on the possibility of applying new land release methodologies as recommended by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining),, Chile said it would be irresponsible to try to reduce the additional eight years it had requested to meet its Mine Ban Treaty obligations considering the difficult terrain, weather, and logistics involved in demining operations in the country.[16] In commenting on Chile’s presentation of its extension request at the June 2011 Standing Committee meetings, Norway encouraged Chile to use all applicable land release methodologies to increase productivity and shorten the time needed.[17]

In December 2011, at the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties, Chile was encouraged from statements made by the other States Parties to improve its land release methodology so it could meet its Article 5 obligations before 2020. The decision also noted that Chile intended to cover the full cost of meeting its Article 5 obligations.[18] Based on the remaining area and mines, Chile needs to clear approximately 2km² and find and destroy 16,000 antipersonnel and antivehicle mines a year until 2020, of which both seem achievable based on recent results.

Clearance of cluster munition remnants

Chile has not reported conducting any clearance in 2012 of the four areas contaminated with cluster munitions.

Compliance with Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Chile is required to destroy all cluster munition remnants in areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 June 2021.

Quality management

As of 31 March 2011, CNAD’s quality assurance team had certified the clearance of 30 mined areas, while 24 others were pending.[19] In its Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for 2011, it reported one additional certification: on 13 July 2011, Isla Hornos was declared to have been cleared of mines.[20]