[NYTr] Bolivia, Chile, Brazil to Expand Atlantic-Pacific Highway

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Granma Daily - Dec 17, 2007
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/english/news/art106.html


Evo, Bachelet and Lula Agree to Atlantic-Pacific Link

LA PAZ, December 16.— Presidents Evo Morales (Bolivia), Michelle
Bachelet (Chile) and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Brazil) agreed Sunday
in La Paz to build, starting mid-2009, a 4,700 kilometer corridor
uniting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to strengthen regional
integration and development.

AFP reported that Chile committed to an investment of US $36 million to
widen and improve the road linking the port of Iquique with Bolivia,
and another 56 million to improve and pave other stretches in its
territory.

Brazil will invest US $162 million to condition two feeder roads that
are already paved and join the Brazilian port of Santos with the
Bolivian town of Corumba.

Bolivian presidential spokesperson Alex Contreras made the announcement
and said his country will invest US $415 million towards the project.

The highway corridor will join Santos on the Atlantic with the Chilean
ports of Arica and Iquique on the Pacific, passing through Bolivia.

The project is considered important for all three nations. Brazil will
see its products transported to Pacific ports in less time; Bolivia
will benefit with the road infrastructure on which it will transport 70
percent of its exports and Chile will gain an outlet to the Atlantic.

The agreement to make the long Atlantic-Pacific highway operative was
signed in a memorandum of understanding called the Declaration of La
Paz.

The meeting of the three leaders also served to boost other projects
involving physical infrastructure which could expand to train, road and
tourism corridors.