▁to ▁ 1 8 8 5 ) ▁was ▁an ▁influ ential ▁voice ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁Chile an ▁expansion ism ▁into ▁the ▁Pacific — he ▁considered ▁that ▁Spain ' s ▁discover ies ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁had ▁been ▁st olen ▁by ▁the ▁British , ▁and ▁en vision ed ▁that ▁Chile ' s ▁duty ▁was ▁to ▁create ▁an ▁emp ire ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁that ▁would ▁reach ▁Asia . ▁In ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁this ▁imperial ist ▁fer vor ▁is ▁that , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁Captain ▁Pol ic ar po ▁Tor o ▁of ▁the ▁Chile an ▁Navy ▁proposed ▁to ▁his ▁super iors ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁E aster ▁Island ; ▁a ▁proposal ▁that ▁att ained ▁support ▁from ▁President ▁José ▁Manuel ▁Bal mac eda ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁island ' s ▁apparent ▁strateg ic ▁location ▁and ▁economic ▁value . ▁After ▁Tor o ▁transferred ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁island ' s ▁sheep ▁ran ch ing ▁operations ▁from ▁T ah iti - based ▁business es ▁to ▁the ▁Chile an - based ▁William son - B alf our ▁Company ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁E aster ▁Island ' s ▁an nex ation ▁process ▁was ▁cul min ated ▁with ▁the ▁signing ▁of ▁the ▁" A gre ement ▁of ▁Will s " ▁between ▁R apa ▁N ui ▁ch ie ft ains ▁and ▁Tor o , ▁in ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁Chile an ▁government , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 . ▁ ▁Ant ar ctic ▁claim ▁ ▁Con sequ ences ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁amid