Bolivia and Peru plan to open new border crossing to promote trade and integration

Representatives of the governments of Bolivia and Peru inspected the final work for the imminent opening of a new border crossing that will promote trade and integration, following negotiations that date back three decades, Bolivia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Integration, Benjamín Blanco, announced today, Wednesday.

Blanco told reporters that this bi-national project strengthens integration between the two fraternal countries in different areas and bilateral relations.

“The opening of the border crossing is nearing completion after 30 years of waiting, which will boost economic and commercial traffic and relations between the two peoples,” he said.

A Bolivian-Peruvian commission worked Monday and Tuesday to solve logistical problems, create an operations manual and review infrastructure works on both sides of the border crossing.

Blanco said the binational delegation showed the progress of complementary works on the Bolivian side of Extrema, in the town of Bolpebra (north), and on the Peruvian side in San Lorenzo, in the department of Madre de Dios (southeast).

The Bolivian official considered that opening the passport would allow the direct import and export of products to the neighboring country without having to pass through Brazilian territory, as is currently the case.

For his part, Bolivian Senator for the Department of Pando (North), Adolfo Flores, told reporters that the binational project should be inaugurated in October.

He recalled that the realization of the project was being pushed by the presidents of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and Peru, Pedro Castillo. He decided to open the Extrema-San Lorenzo border crossing on October 30, 2021, as part of the Sixth Binational Cabinet.

According to the senator, the construction of the module in Extrema and the expansion of 77 kilometers of roads in the territory are