Chile

Mine Action

Last updated: 31 October 2017

Contaminated by: landmines (medium contamination), cluster munitions (medium contamination), and unexploded ordnance (UXO) (limited).

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline: 1 March 2020
(On track to meet deadline)

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 deadline: 1 June 2021
(Not on track to meet deadline)

Summary

The Republic of Chile has reported almost 97km2 of cluster munition-contaminated area in three of its 15 regions. This area is the total size of the military training ranges where the contamination is located. To date, no survey or clearance has been conducted.

Chile is also affected, to a limited extent, by other UXO, and has some 5.6km2 of mined areas still to release.

Recommendation for action

  • Chile should begin survey and clearance of cluster munition contamination as a matter of urgent priority in order to comply with its obligations under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions to clear cluster munition remnants “as soon as possible.”

Mine Contamination

As of the end of 2016, Chile had just more than 5.65km2 of confirmed and suspected mined area across five regions (see table below), believed to contain more than 20,000 landmines.[1] This is a decrease from the 9.17km2 of confirmed and suspected mined area reported for the end of 2015.[2] Most confirmed contamination is in the provinces of Arica and Parinacota. The mines were all laid during the Pinochet regime in the 1970s on Chile’s borders with Argentina in the south, and with Bolivia and Peru in the north. The mined areas, which typically contain both antivehicle and antipersonnel mines, are generally difficult to access and are mostly in unpopulated regions. The vast majority of the mines were laid in the northern region, with some minefields located as high as 5,000m above sea level.[3]

Mined area by province (as of end 2016)[4]

Province

CHAs

Area (m2)

SHAs

Area (m2)

Arica and Parinacota

10

1,632,210

1

145,297

Antofagasta

11

309,805

3

2,985,481

Magallanes and Antártica Chilena

13

507,480

0

0

Tarapacá

6

56,817

0

0

Valparaíso

0

0

1

14,000

Total

40

2,506,312

5

3,144,778

Note: CHAs = confirmed hazardous areas; SHAs = suspected hazardous areas

The impact of remaining contamination is reported to be minimal.[5]

Cluster Munition Contamination

Chile has reported almost 97km2 of cluster munition-contaminated area in three of its 15 regions (see table below). Contamination is a consequence of use of cluster munitions on military training ranges. The areas are also contaminated by other explosive remnants resulting from training exercises. Since the reported extent represents the total size of the areas where cluster munitions were used,[6] the actual extent of contamination may be significantly smaller.

Cluster munition contamination (as of June 2015)[7]

Province

CHAs

Area (km2)

Submunitions expected

Arica and Parinacota

1

33.71

608

Tarapacá

2

56.65

20

Magallanes and Antártica Chilena

1

6.52

20

Total

4

96.88

648

Note: CHAs = confirmed hazardous areas

Chile states that the suspected areas are in closed military areas and the public is not permitted to enter.[8] The impact of cluster munition contamination is believed to be minimal, and there have been no reports of any casualties.

Other Explosive Remnants of War

Chile is also affected, to a limited extent, by other UXO.

Program Management

The national mine action program is managed by the National Demining Commission (Comisión Nacional de Desminado, CNAD), which is chaired by the Minister of Defence.

Chile has not reported on any steps taken to elaborate a workplan to address its four cluster munition-contaminated areas.

Standards

Chile developed a joint demining manual for its armed forces in 2014, which includes procedures for destruction of UXO.[9]

Operators

Demining is conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy Peace and Demining Division. Mechanical resources are being used to support manual demining.[10]

Land Release in 2016 (mines)

Chile cleared more than 3.5km2 of mined area in 2016 (see table below), almost doubling output in 2015 of 1.9km2. It has not reported directly on the number of mines cleared in 2016.

Clearance in 2016 (mines)

Clearance in 2016 was conducted over 38 areas in three of the five contaminated regions: Antofagasta, Arica and Parinacota, and Magallanes and Antártica Chilena.[11]

Mine clearance in 2016[12]

Region

Areas subject to clearance

Area cleared (m²)

AP mines destroyed

AV mines destroyed

Antofagasta

14

341,122

N/R

N/R

Arica and Parinacota

11

3,139,874

N/R

N/R

Magallanes and Antártica Chilena

13

42,650

N/R

N/R

Total

38

3,523,646

N/R

N/R

Note: AP = antipersonnel; AV = antivehicle; N/R = not reported.

Land Release (cluster munition remnants)

As of the end of May 2017, Chile had not reported conducting any survey or clearance of its four cluster munition-contaminated areas.

Chile reported in 2017 that a study had been conducted to assess the time and costs required for clearance, but no details were provided. Clearance may be conducted in 2018 if funds from the military budget are available.[13]

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty and in accordance with the eight-year extension granted by States Parties 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 July 2016, the Minister of Defence announced that Chile had completed 72% of its mine clearance and that it was on course to complete clearance in 2020.[14] In its statement to the Fifteenth Meeting of States Parties, Chile reiterated its commitment to fulfil its Article 5 obligations, but without indicating whether this would be possible by 2020.[15]

Clearance in 2012–2016 (km2)

Year

Area cleared

Extension request forecast

2016

3.52

1.68

2015

1.89

0.93

2014

2.14

4.22

2013

0.71

1.41

2012

1.34

1.58

Total

9.60

9.82

 

Chile hosted the Fifteenth Meeting of States Parties in Santiago in November–December 2016.

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 Compliance

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

 

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted some mine action research in 2017, including on survey and clearance, and shared all its resulting landmine and cluster munition reports with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.

 

 



[1] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports (for calendar years 2015 and 2016), Form C.

[2] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for 2015), Form C.

[3] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports (for calendar year 2009), Form I.

[4] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports (for calendar year 2016), Form C.

[5] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports (for calendar year 2015), Form C.

[6] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form F, submitted 31 July 2017.

[7] Email from Juan Pablo Rosso, Expert in International Security, International and Human Security Department, Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2015; and see Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form F, September 2012; and Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form F, submitted 31 July 2017.

[8] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form F, submitted 31 July 2017.

[9] Manual No. MDO-90402. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports (for calendar year 2015), Form F2.1.

[10] N. García, “Chile fecha el desminado total de fronteras en 2020” (“Chile will complete the demining of its borders in 2020”), Infodefensa.com, 15 July 2016.

[11] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Reports (for calendar year 2016), Form F2.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form F, 31 July 2017.

[14] N. García, “Chile fecha el desminado total de fronteras en 2020” (“Chile will complete the demining of its borders in 2020”), Infodefensa.com, 15 July 2016.

[15] Statement of Chile, Mine Ban Treaty Fifteenth Meeting of States Parties, Santiago, 29 November 2016.