Martín Vizcarra, President of Peru, said last Friday that China, Bolivia and the country he represents could associate in a mega project of building an international railway that connects the Pacific with the Atlantic.
“In a brief interview with Reuters on the presidential plane, Vizcarra added that China could remain a natural partner to help finance and build the project because it would probably buy the goods that the railroad would transport to a port on Peru’s southern Pacific coast”, Gestión wrote.
According to the President, Bolivia is also interested and since they needed a third partner, they are considering to ask China to fill that spot.
“China proposed a railroad several years ago to link the Atlantic coast of Brazil with the Pacific coast of Peru to help reduce the cost of importing raw materials from South America, rich in resources”, Gestión added. “But in 2016, Peru was reluctant with China’s estimate that the cost of the project could reach $60 billion US dollars, including the $35 billion of the Peruvian stretch”, they continued.
Since then, Bolivia, which has no access to the sea, has taken the initiative to revive the talks on alternative routes that would pass through its territory, which would help reduce its dependence on Chile for its exports.
