Argentina has just reduced the price of gasoline, and Paraguay has started the countdown to the promotion of imported products in Ciudad del Este, the second largest of the year. These are two almost synchronous but unrelated actions, but they demonstrate the integrated dynamics of the trinational region.
Add Foz do Iguaçu, a destination for shopping and services for its border neighbors, as well as for sightseeing and tourism. And supermarkets and shopping centers, such as Vila Portes, as well as the supply center, Ceasa, supply food and other products for resale in Argentina and Paraguay.
This May, gas stations in Puerto Iguazú pumped 4% less fuel under the YPF brand. This is an option for those looking for, for example, “purer” gasoline, with less ethanol, with the appropriate technical warning regarding octane rating, which must be observed according to the manufacturer of each vehicle and brand.
Those who go to refuel can also enjoy what Argentina has to offer, such as restaurants, cafes, tourist attractions or an inviting and peaceful stroll through the center of Iguazú, where accents resound from locals to tourists from various parts of the world. It is not even necessary to mention the Feirinha, already in the heart of those who cross the Iguaçu River.
Crossing the border, Ciudad del Este is counting down the days until Crazy Week 2025, which will take place from May 8 to 11, considered the “Black Friday” of the first half of the year in Paraguay. Discounts of up to 70% will be offered on imported goods, on items ranging from electronics to beverages, from cosmetics and perfumes to clothing and household goods.
Crazy Week is an option for Mother's Day shopping and tourism in the tri-national region. Those who come for the promotion spend money in shops, hotels, bars and restaurants and attractions in Ciudad del Este, Foz do Iguaçu and Puerto Iguazú. It is a resource that promotes employment and income.
The border region, in fact, is coming off a long weekend in April that exceeded all expectations. The main official indicator of tourist visits, the Iguaçu National Park, on the Brazilian side alone, received 48.546 visitors, and Foz do Iguaçu reached almost 100% hotel occupancy, a figure similar to that of Puerto Iguazú during the period.
While the potential of the border is dynamic and fluid, the government is floundering, with an international bridge that has already been completed but is no longer in use being the best example of this neglect. Meanwhile, cities, residents and tourists are paying the price for insufficient mobility, demanding faster and less bureaucratic procedures, as well as the implementation and completion of works to eliminate bottlenecks that currently distance, rather than bring, the Three Borders.
