Brasilia, Mar 16 (EFE).-
The presidents of Brazil and Bolivia, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Rodrigo Paz, agreed on Monday to strengthen the economic relationship between both countries, setting aside ideological differences during the Bolivian leader’s first official visit to Brasilia.
The two South American presidents signed two economic agreements, covering areas such as electrical interconnection and tourism, and another focusing on cooperation against transborder organized crime.
Both Lpresidents agreed that regional integration should focus on economic, rather than political, interests.
“The politics of ideology doesn’t feed people. What provides food is production and growth,” Paz said, inviting the neighboring country to collaborate with Bolivia to boost its economic development.
Lula echoed this sentiment, stressing that regional integration “is not an ideological project, but a historical necessity,” and emphasizing that no country will prosper in an “increasingly competitive” world if it remains isolated.
In this context, he celebrated Bolivia’s ongoing accession to Mercosur as a “historical step” that will “strengthen” the trade bloc and expand its borders beyond the Southern Cone.
Electrical and tourism integration
The most significant economic agreement signed during the visit is the electrical connection between the Santa Cruz in Bolivia and Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil through the construction of a 500-kilowatt transmission line.
This line will allow both Brazil and Bolivia to sell surplus electricity production to the neighboring country, with an approximate capacity of 420 megawatts.
A second agreement outlined collaboration between the two governments to boost the flow of tourists between the two nations, aiming to take Brazilians to the Bolivian Copacabana, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and Bolivians to Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, as both presidents expressed.
Among other points, this memorandum will promote cooperation between Brazil and Bolivia in training programs, the exchange of experts, best practices, and technical assistance in tourism.
Also on the economic front, Lula and Paz discussed ongoing work to improve road integration between the two countries, projects aimed at offering Brazil an outlet to the Pacific Ocean, as well as increasing bilateral trade flows.
Paz highlighted this project, assuring that his country has the capacity to serve as a “bioceanic connection” between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Collaboration against crime
Beyond economics, an agreement was signed to strengthen cooperation in combating organized crime, with a special emphasis on human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal mining, arms trafficking, cyber, and environmental crimes.
The cooperation includes the exchange of information and intelligence in the fight against criminal gangs and police collaboration to detain suspects.
The agreement takes on greater relevance at a time when the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and the Comando Vermelho, Brazil’s largest drug trafficking gangs, are rapidly growing and expanding across South America.
Paz will conclude his visit to Brazil on Tuesday in São Paulo, the country’s largest city, where he will preside over a business forum at the headquarters of the Federation of Industries of São Paulo (Fiesp), with the participation of at least 80 representatives from Bolivian companies. EFE
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