American pilot Ethan Guo has been released from a Chilean airbase in Antarctica after a two-month detention related to allegations of illegally landing his plane in the country. Guo, who is 20 years old, was freed on Saturday and has been required to pay a $30,000 donation, along with a three-year ban from entering Chilean territory.
Guo is accused of landing his plane without proper authorization and is reported to have provided a false flight plan as part of a solo expedition aimed at flying to all seven continents to fundraise for cancer research. His attorney, Jaime Barrientos Ramírez, indicated that Guo is “doing pretty well” following his release.
While Barrientos Ramírez expressed disagreement with the legal proceedings against Guo, he noted that the case has concluded with a type of dismissal. Guo needs to donate the financial penalty to childhood cancer research within 30 days and is expected to leave Chile promptly.
At 19, Guo began his journey with the ambition of becoming the youngest person to fly solo to every continent, and he aimed to raise $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Having already flown to six continents, he traveled from Punta Arenas, located near Chile’s southernmost point, to King George Island, which is claimed by Chile.
Guo was detained after landing on King George Island, which hosts various international research stations. Authorities stated that Guo had submitted a flight plan that only covered travel over Punta Arenas and not beyond. Although he faced charges for providing false information and unauthorized landing, these were dropped by a judge in the previous month. He has indicated a desire to continue his original mission once he leaves the military facility.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4l2ld4j9do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss