Coexistence among the few inhabitants of Antarctica is generally good, according to those who have had the opportunity to reside on the white continent, the vast majority of them military and scientific. Isolation, extreme weather conditions, and cramped living spaces foster closeness and camaraderie, even between residents on bases in different countries.
However, from time to time one of them loses his temper, probably for the same reason of the confinement. That happened last weekend, when an Argentine soldier literally attacked another with hammers, while she slept.
The event has transpired this Wednesday, after being revealed by the Argentine newspaper El Litoral. The attack occurred on Saturday night at the Marambio base, one of Argentina's seven permanent enclaves in Antarctica -in addition to six other summer stations-, and the trigger was a discussion with union connotations.
During dinner, a veteran non-commissioned officer – whose name has not been revealed – got into a shouting match with Gustavo Echenique, another military officer of the same rank, although superior to him for being one of those responsible for the base and one of the main ones in Argentina for having with an airfield and housing personnel from the three branches of the Armed Forces, as well as scientists.
The discussion was motivated by the salary differences between the soldiers assigned to the Argentine bases, which are very high depending on whether they belong to the Navy, the Air Force or the Army, and based on the bonuses for having some responsibility, as is the case of the attacked senior non-commissioned officer.
The shouting during dinner did not go beyond this, but it sowed the seeds of hatred: at night, the aggressor entered Echenique's room armed with a mallet and dealt him three strong blows to the face. The neighbors of the room intervened when they heard the incident so that it would not end up worse.
The victim was treated by doctors at the base, who put eight stitches on his face and, although his life is out of danger, he must be transferred to a hospital in Argentina to study the wounds in depth. For this reason, a Hercules traveled to the base to evacuate the soldier. A general and a rear admiral traveled on the same plane to begin the investigation of the events.
The attack took place just a few days after the Argentine Defense, Science and Health Ministers visited the Marambio base, located on Seymour Island, accompanied by a group of journalists, on October 6.
