Paraguay halts border bridge tender to finance COVID-19 response

The US$82mn tender for a third bridge across the Paraguay-Brazil border has been halted by the Paraguayan government as it will redirect US$30mn originally meant for the project to the local health system, which has been hit by a surge of COVID-19 cases.

“We're prioritizing what is more important at the moment and, because of that, I have given the instruction to delay the tender for the bridge construction,” President Mario Abdo was quoted as saying by state news agency IP.

He added that authorities would make a choice between late June and early July on whether to resume the tender or push it back to 2022.

The project, which is financed by Itaipu Binacional, entails building a 1.3km structure that will connect the Paraguayan city of Carmelo Peralta (Alto Paraguay department) with Puerto Murtinho in Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul state).

Abdo added that the energy firm is also financing health infrastructure works worth US$33mn, while the public works ministry (MOPC) is tendering the construction of eight new emergency emergency rooms that will add 140 intensive care beds.

The ministry had previously awarded seven contracts for this type of works.

COVID-19 FIGURES

According to the health ministry (MSPyBS), Paraguay has recorded 240,141 positive COVID-19 cases, with 2,599 new positives being reported on Tuesday.

That same day, the country saw a new record of daily deaths, with 89 fatalities, for a total of 4,978 nationwide.

The government has been heavily criticized for its slow vaccine rollout, as only 60,427 residents have so far been inoculated.

This, alongside lack of medications, triggered widespread protests against the government last month.