“It’s a shame today for some NGOs in the public hearing for the environmental management plans executed in the #Waterway: exhibitors coming out of a bathroom, others with their torsos naked and even lying on a bed,” journalist Mariano Galindez posted on his X account. On Monday, November 3 at 9 a.m., the public hearing organized by the National Ports and Navigation Agency (ANPyN) was held virtually.
The reporter accompanied the message with a series of images in which the speakers are seen witnessing the virtual meeting in inappropriate situations. From older men with their torsos bare, to lying in bed or sitting on the toilet, they were captured by the camera of their own computers.
The Federal Administrative Contentious Court No. 12 rejected the precautionary measure that sought to stop the Environmental Public Hearing convened by the National Ports and Navigation Agency (ANPyN), thus unblocking the way to discuss the renewal of the concession of the navigation system on the Paraná River, key for Argentine exports.
The court also held that the petitioners failed to demonstrate the existence of a specific injury to the alleged rights or substantial irregularities in the procedure convened by the port authority. The resolution highlighted that the public consultation process does not imply the approval of works, nor the final terms of the bidding, but rather constitutes a prior stage aimed at the presentation of the Management and Environmental Assessment Report of the so-called Trunk Navigable Waterway (VNT).
According to the Chamber of the Oil Industry of the Argentine Republic (CIARA) and the Rosario Stock Exchange, the Waterway allows the annual departure of more than 80% of the agricultural products that leave from the river terminals to international destinations. The dredging and regular maintenance of the Trunk Navigable Way is decisive to sustain competitiveness in the transportation of grains and byproducts.
The Paraná-Paraguay Waterway is considered by various actors to be the main river logistics axis of the country. Its operation involves 3,442 kilometers in length, directly affecting seven Argentine provinces and enabling the transit of nearly 4,000 overseas ships per year. The efficient operation of the canal impacts the reduction of logistics costs and the sustainability of the regional economy.
Image gallery
