Bolivia-Peru Railway: Evo Morales Hopes To Build New Link

LIMA, Peru -- Bolivia's president said Monday that he hopes to build a new railway linking his country to Peru that would facilitate exports to Asia.

Bolivian President Evo Morales said he has discussed the plan with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala. Morales told the Peruvian radio station RPP that the railway would run from Puerto Suarez, on Bolivia's border with Brazil, to the Pacific port of Ilo in Peru.

"It's my great dream," Morales said, adding that Brazil and Peru would also gain from having a railway link. He said it would carry agricultural products as well as other commodities to Asian countries.

Morales said in August after a visit to China that Chinese officials expressed interest in making the railway project a priority. It's not immediately clear how much the railway would cost, or how much financial support China might provide.

Bolivia and Peru currently export minerals to China including zinc and lead. Bolivia currently uses roads to truck shipments to Pacific ports in Chile.

Morales made the remarks Monday in the Peruvian city of Cusco, where he spent Christmas after meeting with Peru's president.

Humala also reiterated his support last week for Bolivia in its long-standing request that Chile provide the landlocked country with a corridor of land to access the Pacific coast.

Comments

[haiku man]

07:43 PM on 12/27/2011

1975 called. They want their haircut back.

Would someone buy that man a forehead?

[Jetwash]

03:42 PM on 12/27/2011

Bolivia has long been a land locked country since the War of the Pacific in the 19th century when they claim Chile allegedly took the only port access to the sea from them. Since then, this poor country can't export their good without going through their old enemies in Chile which has reaped profits. So, they turn to their neighbors in Peru to gain access to the sea. Hope they manage it and move on down the road to further development.

[mira chancleta]

09:45 AM on 12/27/2011

Bolivia to Peru?
Did anyone do a feasibility study?

I didn't know there were millions of barefoot mountain Indians waiting to vacation in each other's countries.

Somebody is going to make a lot of "dinero" on this boon-doggle and it will not be the people.

[Dad of Marine]

02:44 PM on 12/27/2011

With your thought process, the U.S. railroad system would have never been built through desolate states such as the great mid west of North America.
People with gread minds think outside the box!

[mira chancleta]

03:21 PM on 12/27/2011

Dad,
That's right.
However, building across, through or under rugged topography costs MUCHO dinero.
So the likelihood of this rail service being used A LOT would be crucial to investors.
No doubt the views would be spectaclular and if the tourist dollar is the target, then bring on the slave labor.
BUT, if it's intended to be a commercial/industrial venture, I would want to know that there is a long waiting list of users standing by, first.

[Bills Catz]

11:29 PM on 12/26/2011

The world first train powered to coca leaves! Spectators line up for miles along the tracks every day, cheering, laughing, convulsing...

[mjegan59]

09:47 PM on 12/26/2011

I took a bus from Arica, Chile to La Paz, Bolivia some years ago. One of the great trips of my life, but I doubt it's very efficient for moving exports....

[K Jive]

03:16 AM on 12/27/2011

That sounds like an amazing trip, i'm planning a similar one in the months to come!

[guajiro]

09:27 PM on 12/26/2011

Fantastic leadership. It is infrastructure investment of this type that benefits entire regions instead of constant wars that capitalistic countries seem to emphasize. Congrats to Evo!