Villa Tunari – San Ignacio de Moxos Highway
Encyclopedia
The Villa Tunari – San Ignacio de Moxos Highway, also known as the Cochabamba–Beni Highway is a road project in Bolivia connecting the towns of Villa Tunari
(in Cochabamba Department
) and San Ignacio de Moxos
(in Beni Department
). It would provide the first direct highway link between the two departments. While the highway has been discussed for decades, a $332 million loan from Brazil
's National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), approved by Bolivia in 2011, will make construction possible. The project has an expected overall cost of $415 million and extends 306 kilometres (190.1 mi), divided into three segments: Segment I from Villa Tunari to Isinuta (47 kilometres (29.2 mi)), Segment II from Isinuta to Monte Grande (177 kilometres (110 mi)), and Segment III from Monte Grande to San Ignacio de Moxos (82 kilometres (51 mi)). The contractor building the road is OAS, a construction firm based in Brazil.
In June 2011, President Evo Morales
inaugurated the project with a ceremony at Villa Tunari. However, neither a final design nor environmental approval had been released for Segment II. Opposition from indigenous residents in the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory
and environmentalists led to a protracted public conflict about the highway, ending with the prohibition of highway passing through the park. The future of the project remains unclear.
A major concern about the impact of the road is its contribution to deforestation
: "Empirical evidence has shown that highways are motors for deforestation" concluded a study of the project by the Program for Strategic Investigation in Bolivia (PIEB). The study projected that the road would markedly accelerate deforestation in the park, leaving up to 64% of TIPNIS deforested by 2030. A technical report submitted by the Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC) established that the direct deforestation caused by the road itself would only be 0.03%; similarly, President Morales has spoken of a 180-hectare deforestation, an area equivalent to a rectangle 180 km long and 10 m wide.
Morales government officials claim 49 of the 64 communities of TIPNIS are now in favor of the construction of the road.
The Subcentral, the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia (CIDOB), and the highland indigenous confederation CONAMAQ carried out a national march from Trinidad, Beni to La Paz in opposition to the project, beginning on August 15, 2011. On September 25, a police raid on the march resulted in the detention of hundreds of marchers, who were later released. The march regrouped and arrived in La Paz on October 19 to a massive public welcome. During the march, other movements such as the Cochabamba campesino confederation and the colonos union in Yucumo mobilized in favor of the project. In early October, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly passed legislation authored by the MAS authorizing the road following a consultation process, but indigenous deputies and the indigenous movement opposed the bill. At the opening of negotiations with the protesters on October 21, Morales announced that he would veto the legislation and support the text proposed by the indigenous deputies. This text was passed by the Assembly and signed into law on October 24, effectively ending the conflict. Law 180 of 2011 declares TIPNIS an intangible zone and prohibits the construction of highways that cross it.
Villa Tunari
Villa Tunari or Tunari is a location in the department of Cochabamba, Bolivia. It is the seat of the Villa Tunari Municipality, the third municipal section of the Chapare Province. At the time of census 2001 it had a population of 2,510....
(in Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the "granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products due to Cochabamba's geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km². Its population, in the 2007 census, was 1,750,000...
) and San Ignacio de Moxos
San Ignacio de Moxos
San Ignacio de Moxos is a town in the Beni Department of northern Bolivia.-Location:San Ignacio is the capital of the Moxos Province and is situated at an elevation of 144 m above sea level at Laguna Isiboro, a lake of 20 km² west of the town...
(in Beni Department
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
). It would provide the first direct highway link between the two departments. While the highway has been discussed for decades, a $332 million loan from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), approved by Bolivia in 2011, will make construction possible. The project has an expected overall cost of $415 million and extends 306 kilometres (190.1 mi), divided into three segments: Segment I from Villa Tunari to Isinuta (47 kilometres (29.2 mi)), Segment II from Isinuta to Monte Grande (177 kilometres (110 mi)), and Segment III from Monte Grande to San Ignacio de Moxos (82 kilometres (51 mi)). The contractor building the road is OAS, a construction firm based in Brazil.
In June 2011, President Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
inaugurated the project with a ceremony at Villa Tunari. However, neither a final design nor environmental approval had been released for Segment II. Opposition from indigenous residents in the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory
Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory
Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory is a protected area and Native Community Land in Bolivia situated between the north of the Cochabamba Department and the south of the Beni Department...
and environmentalists led to a protracted public conflict about the highway, ending with the prohibition of highway passing through the park. The future of the project remains unclear.
Conflict concerning Isiboro-Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park
In May 2010, the a meeting of TIPNIS Subcentral and corregidores throughout the territory stated their "overwhelming and unrenounceable opposition" to the project. In July 2011, following the beginning of construction the Subcentral TIPNIS (the representative institution of indigenous residents in the territory), the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia, and the highland indigenous confederation CONAMAQ announced they would participate in a national march opposing the project.A major concern about the impact of the road is its contribution to deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
: "Empirical evidence has shown that highways are motors for deforestation" concluded a study of the project by the Program for Strategic Investigation in Bolivia (PIEB). The study projected that the road would markedly accelerate deforestation in the park, leaving up to 64% of TIPNIS deforested by 2030. A technical report submitted by the Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC) established that the direct deforestation caused by the road itself would only be 0.03%; similarly, President Morales has spoken of a 180-hectare deforestation, an area equivalent to a rectangle 180 km long and 10 m wide.
Morales government officials claim 49 of the 64 communities of TIPNIS are now in favor of the construction of the road.
The Subcentral, the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia (CIDOB), and the highland indigenous confederation CONAMAQ carried out a national march from Trinidad, Beni to La Paz in opposition to the project, beginning on August 15, 2011. On September 25, a police raid on the march resulted in the detention of hundreds of marchers, who were later released. The march regrouped and arrived in La Paz on October 19 to a massive public welcome. During the march, other movements such as the Cochabamba campesino confederation and the colonos union in Yucumo mobilized in favor of the project. In early October, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly passed legislation authored by the MAS authorizing the road following a consultation process, but indigenous deputies and the indigenous movement opposed the bill. At the opening of negotiations with the protesters on October 21, Morales announced that he would veto the legislation and support the text proposed by the indigenous deputies. This text was passed by the Assembly and signed into law on October 24, effectively ending the conflict. Law 180 of 2011 declares TIPNIS an intangible zone and prohibits the construction of highways that cross it.