A river without action | Page 12

If national sovereignty has always been a troubling issue, last week added something else: the Paraguayan government officially decided to join the U.S. military competition in what they call “Hitrovia.”

Therefore, the elaboration of a master plan for the navigation of the Paraguay River (which flows into the Paraná at Isla del Cerrito in Chaco, the so-called “convergence point” of all studies and analysis) will be done with “technical support”. United States Army Corps of Engineers”.

It has been around for a long time, although until now everything related to the Paraná-Paraguay water continuum has depended heavily on Argentine decisions regarding the control and management of the river and the opening of the Magdalena Canal. What will lead to another malicious tenders like 30 years.

This explains the recent presence of the powerful Dutch mining company Boscalis (already mentioned in this column two weeks ago), which will launch a lobby to dominate the business and with the pretense of integrating mining, ports and agriculture. – Export companies.

All this continues to delay the implementation and operation of the Magdalena Canal, an already essential task, of extraordinary importance to the province governed by Axel Kicillof, and whose tender call is opposed by the Department of Agricultural Exports.

Therefore, the US presence along the 542 kilometers of the river will now be operational under Paraguayan sovereignty. Perhaps that is why these hours in Asuncion Paraguay and the United States are joining military engineers in the construction of the Paraguayan section of the so-called “Aqueduct.”

The Paraguay River originates in the Brazilian region of Mato Grosso do Sul, flows through the so-called Great Pantanal, then forms part of the border between Brazil and Bolivia, and finally enters the border of southern and lower Paraguay from the north. The exclusive sovereignty of the Government of Asuncion. It goes before forming the border between Argentina and Paraguay, as it receives one of its major tributaries on the right bank: the Bilcomao River, which forms the northern border of the Argentine Republic.

From there it bathes the shores of the province of Formosa, until it meets the river Bermejo, which comes from the north of Salta, and, at a distance of 1000 kilometers, receives Paraguay with prodigious force, and flows into Chaco Isla del on the right bank of Paraná. Cerrito, Corrientes in front of Paso de la Patria.

That is the so-called “association” point, from which 1,238 kilometers of the Paraná River are under exclusive Argentine sovereignty, albeit irregularly since about 30 years ago, when the river was actually privatized by the decision of then President Carlos Menem. Today it, along with the Magdalena Canal, Argentina’s best source of debt relief, is unfortunately blocked.

The recent Asuncion Agreement was signed by Guarani Foreign Minister Julio Arriola and US Ambassador Marc Ostfield. This Memorandum of Understanding will be based on a master plan for the navigation of the Paraguay River based on studies designed and executed by American engineers.

In this context, the Parana, under the jurisdiction of Argentina, born on the aforementioned Isla del Cerrito, and from there called “Alto Paraná”, ceases to be binational and flows into the Río de la Plata. For all these and more, it is notorious that today it has been completely subsidized by foreign companies.

In his book “Argentina bleeds from the valleys of the Paraná River”, Luciano Orellano from Rosario, one of the best connoisseurs of the river, wrote, “A freshwater river, navigable 365 days a year, and deep, which allows us to penetrate the heart of South America”. In total, it covers 4,880 kilometers, making it the 5th largest river and the 6th longest river in the world.

It’s unclear exactly what Washington’s plans are, but in Asuncion they aren’t strictly for setting up a military base, but rather “a detachment of American soldiers close to Hydrovia.” “. Of course, that’s all speculation, but it’s important to emphasize that the announcement comes a month before Paraguay’s presidential election, which according to local newspaper reports will be a leftist candidate today.

The confusions in this matter, as always in politics, are innumerable, and perhaps not accidental. For this reason, nothing about the Magdalena Canal today guarantees that work will be completed. At the end of this note all that is known is:

1) “The opening work will be tendered and when it starts, it will be the lighthouse. The next government will have to choose the contractor for the maintenance of the canal,” he said.

2) The work agreed with Uruguay will be carried out in the Administrative Commission of the Rio de la Plata (CARP). “We cannot move a millimeter from this parameter,” said Hernán Ortuna, vice president of the National Institute for Control and Management of the Waterway (Ecovina).

3) At that time Uruguay requested 45 studies on the navigable route, which were fully completed, so “the work was already done before the bidding for the work,” Ortuna recalled.

4) He informed that in the first phase the opening work will be tendered and when it starts, it will be the turning of the lighthouse.

5) Estimated working time is 21 months, although experience from previous excavation work shows that this may be much less.

6) The Magdalena Canal is a natural access route to and from the Río de la Plata and has technical advantages with greater security and better connectivity for large ships to enter the river or exit the Atlantic.

7) The canal will allow the creation of all the ports of Buenos Aires, ensuring more and better connectivity for shipping and ensuring strong economic development of the areas near Punta Indio, General Lavalle and other areas.

8) It is a fundamental assertion of sovereignty, as it would ensure a connection between the sea and oceanic coasts to Antarctica which is lacking today.

9) The economic, logistical and geopolitical benefits of the canal will increase wealth in the province by integrating geographical regions, improving income distribution and creating jobs.

10) In addition, the work will be paid from the start, and national institutions with trenches under the Argentine flag will have an enormous multiplier effect.

11) Once the canal is operational, freight charges will immediately decrease, navigation will be safer and navigation time will be reduced. And all work will be done with Argentine workers, as well as all services for ships.

12) Canal will also improve navigation time, traffic flow and real value of goods.

All this is known, although nothing guarantees that the work will actually be done, or when or with what management. So sovereignty will continue to wait, and the Argentine people should not rule out that they may be deceived once again.

Such is the river’s decisive importance to Argentina’s sovereignty.