The waterway formed by the Paraguay and Paraná rivers is one of the world’s longest and most biodiverse river corridors, extending more than 3,400 kilometres from its source in southern Brazil, through Paraguay, and into Argentina to reach the Río de la Plata estuary. For Argentina, it is also a vital route through which most of the country’s foreign trade flows. But the waterway is currently in the midst of a contentious process to privatise its management and enable works along its route, launched by the administration of President Javier Milei. The call for tender has generated fierce opposition from several interested business entities, who claim the government is favouring a single company: Belgian dredging firm Jan De Nul, which, as a joint partner in Hidrovía, held the concession until 2021, after which management returned to state administration.
January 17, 2025
SOURCE: DIALOGUE EARTH
Argentina’s plans to expand its main shipping route enter choppy waters