Looming Transoceanic Highway Worries Some in South America

Officials in Peru and Brazil are hoping for a 2011 opening to the Transoceanic Highway between the coasts of the two countries. But some locals worry about what the road will bring once it's completed.

1 minute read

November 1, 2010, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


The road will cover more than 3,400 miles. Some Peruvians worry that this is just another part of a vast effort by Brazilians to use Peru and its resources.

"Not everyone is thrilled about the Brazilian onslaught. Plans for vast new hydroelectric plants and dams in the Peruvian Amazon to help feed Brazil's voracious energy appetite have met stiff resistance from environmentalists and indigenous groups.

Skeptics warn of a quiet conquest with a smile, a handshake and lilting Brazilian charm.

'If Latin America is the backyard of the United States, then I say Peru is the patio of Brazil,' said Roberto Ochoa, a columnist for La Republica newspaper in Lima, the Peruvian capital."

Sunday, October 31, 2010 in Los Angeles Times

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