Strike shuts down main Argentina-Chile border crossing

A 24-hour strike by Chilean border control agencies totally shut down the main border crossing between Argentina and Chile Wednesday, Argentina's National Roads & Highway Bureau (DNV) said. The border crossing point, known as the Cristo Redentor Tunnel, serves as the principal gateway between the two nations, cutting through the Andes mountain range and connecting Chile's Valparaiso region and Argentina's Mendoza province. "Traffic is cut off for all types of vehicles," the DNV said in a statement. "The National Roads & Highway Bureau recommends drivers reschedule their trip until traffic is resumed through the international crossing," the DNV added. Both Chilean customs personnel and those working for the Agriculture and Livestock Service went on strike. The tunnel, officially called the Los Libertadores International Crossing Point, is the main transport route out of Chile's capital Santiago into Mendoza, the capital of the province of the same name. In recent years, the crossing point has been closed several times due to heavy snowfalls and other weather conditions. Argentina and Chile share a 5,150-kilometer border, with 13 border crossing points.