Chile climate pullout prompts tears from young activists sailing Atlantic

[Judi Lynn]

News of Santiago summit’s cancellation reportedly came as heavy blow but youngsters decide to push ahead with boat trip

Jonathan Watts
@jonathanwatts
Fri 1 Nov 2019 02.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 1 Nov 2019 03.24 EDT

Chile’s decision to withdraw as host of the Cop 25 UN climate conference has prompted tears and frustration from a group of school-strike activists sailing across the Atlantic to attend the talks.

But the young campaigners say they are determined to continue their journey to hold other civil society meetings in South America, and may only consider charting a new course if the United Nations accepts Spain’s offer to act as an emergency host of the summit.

The shock announcement by the Chilean president, Sebastián Piñer,a was the latest in a series of setbacks for the 36 young European campaigners on board the Regina Maris sailboat, which left Amsterdam on 2 October.

The vessel had to make an unexpected stop in France because of problems with the water purification system. The weather has been rough and several passengers were seasick, including 18-year-old Adelaïde Charlier, a co-organiser with Anuna De Wever of the Youth for Climate movement in Belgium.

News of the cancellation of the Santiago summit reportedly came as a heavy blow to the activists, some of whom have also endured online trolling and death threats, during the past year.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/01/chile-climate-cop-25-conference-summit-atlantic