14 DAY TRIAL // In the years to come, China hopes to implement several infrastructure projects in Latin America, among them a mammoth railway connecting Brazil and Peru.
The trouble with this railway is that, according to its proposed route, it would cut straight through the core of the Amazon rainforest, which happens to be a biodiversity hotspot.
There are perks to building this railway
As mentioned, this railway that China hopes will one day cut through the Amazon will connect Brazil and Peru. If built, the railway will certainly make it faster and cheaper to carry commodities such as iron ore, oil and soya beans along this route.
The proposed route sees the line beginning in Açu Port in Brazil, bending and twisting around Bolivia's border and then reaching the west coast of Peru at long last.
It is estimated that the railway will cost about $30 billion (approximately €26.7 billion) to build. When completed, it will measure an astounding 5,300 kilometers (roughly 3,300 miles) from one end to the other, The Guardian informs.
The railway is a threat to local biodiversity
It might be that this line will make it easier to transport goods meant for export across the Amazon, but environmentalists warn that the project is bound to ruin local ecosystems, quite possibly beyond repair.
For starters, the line will pass through dense forests, swamps and many other landscapes that are home to numerous plant and animal species. This means that, to build the railway, trees will have to be cut and ecosystems destroyed.
Besides, accidents along the line mean oil and other commodities that are toxic for the environment could reach the core of the Amazon. Not to mention the fact that the project violates the rights of indigenous communities.
For now, it remains to be seen whether authorities in Latin America will agree to give the green light to this ambitious project. If they do, word has it that it will be Brazilian firms who will be doing most of the work.
