By Danilo Vendruscolo – OPINION
Congratulations, Foz do Iguaçu, on the 110 years of political emancipation, celebrated on June 10, 2024.
Foz do Iguaçu has already gone through several economic cycles, but the most impactful was the construction of the largest hydroelectric plant on the planet, 50 years ago.
Foz had a population of around 30 thousand inhabitants and very quickly grew, in an unplanned way, to more than 280 thousand people living in our city.
In addition to the rapid growth of Foz, we had a greater population increase on the Paraguayan side, reflecting an expansion of the trinational region, made up of seven municipalities (two in Brazil, one in Argentina and four in Paraguay), forming a large metropolis with one million inhabitants.
In this trinational region, a population of more than 80 ethnic groups was formed, living in perfect harmony, in a true process of economic, cultural and social integration. We could be much better off if our leaders played a proactive role in integrating and contemplating the natural and man-made beauties, instead of normally seeing borders as a problem.
As of 2019, Foz do Iguaçu began to receive structural works sponsored by Itaipu Binacional, which had been requested for over 30 years, such as:
- expansion and modernization of our international airport, with extension of the landing and take-off runway for large aircraft, works already completed in 2021;
- duplication of BR-469, the Rodovia das Cataratas, to be delivered by the end of 2025;
- Integration Bridge (Brazil–Paraguay), delivered in 2022;
- East Perimetral, which will connect the Tancredo Neves Bridge (Brazil–Argentina) and the Integration Bridge to BR 277;
- LED lighting on BR-277 in the urban perimeter of Foz;
- Municipal Market delivered in 2022, but not inaugurated;
- new dry port, the largest in Latin America, to be delivered by the end of 2025.
These are all structural works, which should be completed by the end of 2025 and will make our city another Foz do Iguaçu for the coming years. But we still need a series of other projects, the so-called complementary works and actions:
- expansion of the Industrial District;
- viaduct or trench connecting Vila Portes to Jardim Jupira;
- viaduct at the old junction in front of CTG Charrua to ease congestion at the Foz entrance junction;
- viaduct or trench on Rua Theodoro Risden;
- pedestrian walkway connected to Portal da Foz in Grande Três Lagoas (a point with a high rate of deaths due to run-overs);
- viaducts connecting the southern part with the northern part of the city;
- change in water collection from the Tamanduá River to the Iguaçu River or Itaipu Lake (better quality water for the people of Iguaçu);
- revitalization of the Foz do Iguaçu resort for public use;
- improvement of tourist signage and urban mobility, with synchronization of traffic lights on the main avenues and streets of the municipality;
- resumption of the Beira Foz Project, a prime area of Foz, now practically abandoned;
- optimization of flow and traffic in customs and foreign trade;
- Foz Master Plan thinking about 2050, together with the trinational region (of one million inhabitants), aiming to use the resources of royalties for a core of projects for the Foz of the future.
In addition to these complementary works, we must urgently create conditions to attract new investments, with the generation of jobs and income, mainly focused on the use of available labor, which is currently unemployed or underemployed – living on the aid of Bolsa Família.
We believe that our main challenge as a society will be to strengthen public and private entities, so that – together and with good dialogue and good projects – we can build a thriving Foz do Iguaçu, thinking about what we want by 2050.
It is essential that civil society is willing to undertake this construction, electing good representatives, always thinking about the collective interest, above all, because taking care of Foz depends on each one of us.
Danilo Vendruscolo is president of ACIFI (Commercial and Business Association of Foz do Iguaçu).
A city that evolves and becomes more beautiful every year. But the street signs need to be in brighter colors so you can see them better.
The construction work on the eastern perimeter is isolating entire populations. The logistics of the diversions are a disgrace.
Unfortunately, the streets are full of holes. It's a disgrace. Our mayor has thrown in the towel, his term is over.