The Mercosur Parliament raised a note of protest to Paraguay for including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in studies for river navigation of the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, in a clear U.S. intervention in the Silver Basin.
The Paraguayan government unleashed a conflict with its Mercosur partners by backing the announcement made in September by U.S. Ambassador to Asuncion, Marc Ostfield, about the collaboration of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Master Plan for the Paraná-Paraguay waterway.