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Scary proposition...
Submitted by Pompano Tom on Sun, 2006/10/01 - 14:30.
Does anyone know anything about this?
Saturday, September 30, 2006 - 12:00 AM
World Digest Atlantic-Pacific canal proposed for Nicaragua
Atlantic-Pacific canal proposed for Nicaragua
Seeking to cash in on booming Asian exports, Nicaragua will announce a $20 billion proposal next week to build a canal between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans that would accommodate ships too large to use the Panama Canal, Nicaraguan officials said Friday.
If approved by Nicaragua's Congress, the project would be a joint public-private venture financed by unnamed investors, said Lindolfo Monjarretz, a spokesman for Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos.
The Grand Inter-Oceanic Nicaragua Canal would make use of the 60-mile wide Lake Nicaragua and follow at least part of a route first proposed by American and European entrepreneurs in the 19th century, officials said.
Opened in 1914, the Panama Canal cannot accommodate vessels that are more than 106 feet wide and 965 feet long. Panamanians will go to the polls on Oct. 22 on a referendum to expand their country's own facilities. The proposed $5.25 billion project would allow vessels with double the tonnage to use the 50-mile-long waterway.
Alemán wants a piece of the action too
Apparently not least among the hopeful is former Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Alemán, who bought up dozens of properties here on the Pacific Coast during the latter part of his five-year term, which ended this past January.
http://americas.irc-online.org/articles/2002/0204transport_body.html
Sandinistas hold some land on the proposed route
Taken from the a Webpage, see URL at the bottom:
"None of the Nicaragua proposals are new. Although recently the government has become more serious and has taken bids from interested parties. Eight multinational consortiums have expressed interest and are exploring costs. The latest scheme to be presented comes from an international consortium led by Wimpey, a UK construction firm, Siemans of Germany and the Interoceanic Canal Consortium of Nicaragua (CINNSA) which includes China Merchant Holdings, a Hong Kong shipping company, the port authorities of Tianjin and Qingdao in China, Parsons Brincker of International Engineers of New York, Europe Combined Terminals of the Netherlands, Spain's state-run RENFE rail company, as well as Japanese shipping interests. This group proposes to build a new high-speed railway.
There are also many political factors to be considered. It is believed that this canal would be a political instrument to improve relations with the US, and to settle political problems in Central America. The Sandanistas are also keen on this idea because they hold some land on the proposed route. Another view is that the canal is apolitical. (Reuters, 1989) In addition to bringing international investors, it will affect the transport of goods throughout the world.
The financially strapped country of Nicaragua is again hoping to fulfill their dream of a canal. However, a number of downfalls are foreseen. The first is that it does not have the labor force necessary to carry out all of the work. They estimate that at least 200,000-300,000 workers would have to be brought in, just as in Panama. Second, Nicaragua would have to undergo a radical transition to be adequately equipped for the new canal. Third, ecologists are already protesting that natural resources would be harmed. Many await the results of the feasibility study due out in October to determine if Nicaragua's dream could become a reality."
http://www.nicaliving.com/comment/reply/6678#comment
Blow up Panama Canal first
Rumor Version One:
The Communists are planning to sabotage the Panama Canal and disrupt the shipping lanes between the East and the West. With control of Nicaragua, they will be able to use the Inland Waterways in Nicaragua to turn Nicaragua into the New version of the Panama Canal. This way they can control commerce on a world wide basis.
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?read=1003
Eco-Canal
And here's another one:
http://www.tierramerica.net/2001/0506/iacentos.shtml
A seal level canal
"It enters the San Juan River at the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border and follows that river west into Lake Nicaragua [or Cocibolco]. It then crosses Lake Nicaragua northward to the Tipitapa River near Granada. It then follows the Tipitapa River into Lake Managua [or Xolotlan], then crosses Lake Managua northward, where it is linked northward to the Gulf of Fonseca [or Chorotega], entering the Gulf to the east of the Cosguina Peninsula via a long, dredged canal.. "
He has some remarks about that idiot Carter too.
http://wais.stanford.edu/Nicaragua/nicaragua_andproposedcanal4902.html
another typo
Seals would probably prefer a sea level canal.
Last one I hope
Plan for Inter-Ocean Canal Reborn Lidia Hunter*
MANAGUA, Sep 13 (Tierramérica) - Nicaragua is once again dreaming of building an inter-ocean route -- one that would make the Panama Canal look tiny. But the mega-project, which would take 10 years to complete and would cost more than 25 times the national budget, could be catastrophic for the environment, say ecologists.
There are four projects under consideration for connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via different routes across Nicaragua. The goal is to be able to transport volumes of cargo that the Panama Canal cannot handle.
http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=20122
Can't have both
"If the Panama referendum passes and the widening goes forward, [the Nicaraguan project] is not feasible," Sabonge said. "Our analysis shows that if our project is approved, there would not be enough demand to pay for the two, and they would have to have a cost structure much higher than ours."
The Times added that recent polls show nearly two-thirds of Panamanian voters favor expanding the canal. If approved, the project calls for work to begin next year, with completion expected in 2014.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/9/30/173953.shtml?s=rss
What I have heard
is that it would be a seaway from Rio San Juan to lake Nicaragua and that access to the pacific would be by rail. But I may be wrong.
Canta no LLores
could you imagine
You think Granada is a Gringo town now, wait till the cruiseships start pulling up to town ;)
that's it . . .
that's it . . . I'm looking at Bolivia . . . it's still land-locked right ; ) ?
Competition
I just read that Panamanians are about to vote on whether to spend $5B to widen the Panama canal to accept modern shipping.
Haven't heard about it,
But "Unnamed investors" is the scary part. Quid pro quo. Uncle Hugo's oil money? Sorry, my cynicism is showing again.
Not Hugo
There is other countries involved, among them USA and a few Europen and Asian countries, I think 13 all together.
Russia too?
Russia too?
Makes sense
I would expect China to fund it, maybe S. Korea. I also expect Nicaragua to get the shaft. Any revenue will probably go straight to the pockets of government officials, as usual.
I'd also expect China to operate the canal like they do the Panama canal and so many foreign ports. Just part of their world domination plans.
Only........
if Ortega wins. This is what I have learned. Ortega is in talk with the Chinese about his chance of beeing elected,he wants lots of aid and money, in return the Chinese want to do business in Nicaragua and one thing is the canal project. There has been visits by the Chinese, 25 hi flying top people including technical staff was flying around in helicopters for over a week. There is one snag and that is that the Chinese demand is for Nicaragua to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan, this is not easy and according to one " big taiwanese" i know they also have been very active in this theater, they are running out of places to be and are very concerned. If anybody else wins the election, it will probably be the plan that was hatched in the early 1990 and where the project is designed in USA.
Some things never change
Chinese influence on the election = good for Ortega
US influence on the election = evil exploitation and imperialsim
Jaques Derrida would be proud.