MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei traveling to Antarctica this week

Milei has been criticized for his disregard of environmental issues

Argentine President Javier Milei will be traveling to Antarctica this coming Friday, Jan. 5, alongside Ministers Diana Mondino (Foreign Affairs) and Luis Petri (Defense), it was reported in Buenos Aires. The head of state intends to launch a “pollution control,” according to Casa Rosada sources.

The pollution initiative is promoted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it was also explained.

Milei met last week with Argentina's IAEA Director Rafael Grossi, who showed the Libertarian leader the Nutec Plastics project on pollution control in the Antarctic, which is already underway in the Arctic. It was then agreed to make the trip, of which Grossi will also take part to set in motion the identification of microplastics and nanoplastics in the Antarctic environment.

The delegation is expected to depart for Río Gallegos in Santa Cruz on Friday and stay the night there before flying on to the Marambio Base on Saturday, from where it would be returning on the same day, weather permitting.

Milei's trip comes in the aftermath of his most-encompassing bill to Congress which eliminates regulations on productive activities in protected ecosystems. Among other items, it would provide for a modification to the 2010 Glaciers Law to allow mining in periglacial areas. For this, Milei took heavy flak given his disregard for environmental issues.

This IAEA initiative stems from a 2022 study published in the scientific journal The Cryophere which detected microplastics in all Antarctic snow samples.

Nutec Plastics is the IAEA's initiative to address the global plastic pollution problem. This decision brings together countries from all around the world by introducing new technologies to improve plastic recycling.

“We will be at the Marambio base and we will bring technicians from the marine environmental protection laboratories that we have in Monaco, with whom we will be providing training,” Grossi has explained.

“Congratulations to President @JMilei on the beginning of his mandate. Honored to exchange views on strengthening cooperation between Argentina and @IAEAorg in nuclear energy and peaceful uses. Argentina's experience is crucial for nuclear development worldwide,” Grossi also posted on social media after meeting with Milei.