Wednesday February 18th, 2026
WASHINGTON — The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$200 million Targeted Investment Loan (ESP) to finance the construction of a key section of the Bioceanic Corridor in Paraguay.
This operation will contribute to improving transportation, the access of the population of the Western Region of the country to markets and services, and will facilitate international trade in the area of influence of the corridor.
With an extension of 3,800 km, the Bioceanic Corridor is a regional integration initiative aimed at articulating a continuous land route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, crossing productive and strategic areas of the Brazilian center-west, the Western Region of Paraguay, northern Argentina and northern Chile, including the ports of Antofagasta, Iquique and Mejillones.
The project is part of the IDB Group’s Southern Connection program, which aims to improve regional connectivity, strengthen competitiveness and promote sustainable growth in South America.
In Paraguay, the corridor corresponds to National Route PY15 (532 km), which connects Carmelo Peralta, on the border with Brazil, with Pozo Hondo, on the border with Argentina, and is developed in three sections.
The loan resources will finance the design, construction and maintenance of 102.5 km of Section II and 8 km of the access to the city of Mariscal Estigarribia. In addition, 27.3 km of the eastern access to the industrial zone of the city of Loma Plata, a feeder route to the corridor, will be improved.
The execution of the works will directly benefit the population and productive sectors of the departments of Alto Paraguay and Boquerón, which concentrate an important part of the national agricultural production and are home to more than 7,000 producers in the primary sector.
Around 28,700 people will improve their access to hospital services, including more than 1,700 from indigenous communities. And 99 population centers—including 23 indigenous communities—will improve their access to secondary schools, according to estimates.
The US$200 million loan has a repayment term of 22 and a half years, a grace period of 8 years and an interest rate based on SOFR.
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