An American social media influencer, detained for two months at a Chilean airbase in Antarctica after an unauthorised landing, has been released back to the mainland. He now faces a $30,000 penalty.
Ethan Guo, 19 at the time of his detention, was attempting to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents, a journey he undertook to raise funds for cancer research.
His detention followed accusations from Chilean authorities that he provided “false flight plan data” and lied to officials. Prosecutors stated he was only authorised to fly over Punta Arenas in southern Chile but continued south towards Antarctica in his versatile Cessna 182Q single-engine light aircraft.
After he landed in Chile’s Antarctic territory on June 28, he was detained in a military base amid legal negotiations between his lawyers and the government. Guo, who is originally from Tennessee and turned 20 in July, spent two months living in the base with limited communications and freezing Antarctic winter temperatures plunging below zero.
He was released by a Chilean judge on the condition that he donate the tens of thousands of dollars raised to a childhood cancer foundation within 30 days and leave the country as soon as possible. He is also banned from entering Chilean territory for three years.
The influencer’s lawyer Jaime Barrientos told The Associated Press that Guo landed because he had to divert his aircraft due to poor weather conditions, and that he did receive authorization from Chilean authorities.
“To his surprise, when he was about to take off back to Punta Arenas he was arrested, in a process that from my perspective was a total exaggeration,” Barrientos said.
Barrientos said he was happy with the agreement struck with authorities.
Guo landed Saturday at Punta Arenas aboard a navy ship wearing a Chilean national soccer team jersey and appeared friendly with the press after disembarking, describing his detention as “mundane” experience with “limited freedoms”.
“The Chilean people have been incredibly hospitable, they’ve been fantastic people. They’ve taken care of me. They’ve taught me Spanish, and they’ve treated me like family,” he said.
