About every few years or so, someone brings up this lame idea of cutting a road through the jungle of the Darien Gap. Just what we need to expand illegal logging and drug running in Panama. Sorry but I beg to differ with this position reported in Prensa.
The country with the best air and maritime connectivity in the region should seize the opportunities offered by a land connection with South America. In his opinion piece published in Prensa.com, Rommel Troetsch highlights the need to raise the debate to develop the essential connectivity that is needed in the south.
“…The gap now covers an area of ??only 58 kilometers from the Panamanian side, 53.5 kilometers from the Colombian side and costs about 231 million dollars to build the stretches of road that are missing, according to John Barnes, exhibitor of CADE 2015. This road would allow land access to a population of 47 million in Colombia, and 400 million in South America.
Opening the overland trade with South America, among other business opportunities, would enhance land transport cargo and would give the people of Darien a great opportunity to escape the poverty, neglect and the isolation in which they find themselves.”
The biggest problem is cattle foot & mouth disease that Panama & Central America do not want..
You need to talk to the veterinarians in Darien.
Good for Colombia, Bad for Panama. I was in the Darien, past the road end last weekend. The logging brought tears to my eyes. Also the road has been pretty much destroyed by the tucks east of Torti
Tom,
Well said !
In addition a road would help competition in Panama, something sadly lacking. Such a road would help the retail sector by reducing prices.
If Varela’s crony socialists really want to help the people, they would start the road right away. But of course, they only want to help themselves.
Best regards
Harry
Dumbass idea. Illegal migration, animal diseases passing through. Environmental disaster.
There are two sides to every story.
I am against this plan, as I live in Panama, and we certainly don’t need the additional problems inherent in creating a land bridge which would bring many more thousands of unemployed Columbians into Panama.
However, to be fair, there is a benefit. The Darien area is economically depressed right now. If this plan were to come about, it would be the epicenter of a tremendous surge in tourism, as the crossover point for transiting between North American and South America. I can imagine what would happen if you told the people in the United States that they can “drive” to Machu Picchu; or to Patagonia for that matter. And with this missing piece in the geographical tourism puzzle, you could even justify building a rail system to hook up North America and Central America with the various train systems in South America.
The benefits outweigh the negative factors, but I’m still against it—only because I personally would be better off without it.