Bibliografía

BBCMUNDO.com. (s.f.). Recuperado el 21 de agosto de 2016, de

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_6082000/6082196.stm

MADE FOR MINDS. (s.f.). Recuperado el 21 de agosto de 2016, de http://www.dw.com/es/el-

canal-de-panam%C3%A1-vs-el-canal-de-nicaragua/a-16889294

PANAMA CANAL VS NICARAGUA CANAL

NICARAGUA CANAL (The biggest white elephant of the history)

The Nicaragua Canal that will be three times longer and twice deeper than Panama Canal. A work
that will represent the movement of the biggest land of the history of the humanity. Nothing of
the constructed till now would be comparable to it. The opinion is divided brings over of if the
Nicaraguan project of a channel represents an unrealizable illusion, or a great project from which
one of the poorest countries of the world will obtain immense benefits. The history shows
numerous examples of projects that initially were rejected for unviable, but that then re-lived
when there appeared a new technology, financing or political will.

Between them there are the Suez Canal, Corinth and Panama, the tunnel under the canal of The
Spot - proposed by the first time two centuries ago - and the railway tunnel under the Bosporus,
only for mentioning some. But the architects warn that also there are many unsuccessful projects
and white elephants all over the planet, several of them with an enormous cost for the
contributors. You upset this month, Italy left the plans to construct the longest suspension bridge
of the world between the peninsula and the island of Sicily, on Messina's strait - projected from
the sixties, with the argument of which the money can be invested better in another part.

Certainly, it is not the first time that Nicaragua has listened to offers for a canal that one to the
oceans Pacific Ocean and The Atlantic Ocean. The idea was debated by the first time by the
Spanish explorers five centuries ago, and was considered seriously in the 19th century, before The
United States should choose to support the channel of Panama. According to the maritime expert
Marc Hershman, of the School of Marine Matters in Seattle, The United States, the feasibility of
making concrete the plans of Nicaragua is now probably major that never. “There is a tremendous
growth in the demand of shipping load about the world and along the coast west of The United
States ", he says.
“Even if it is still a dream, it is less than it was a time ago ". But it indicates towards the need of
Nicaragua for an enormous financial international support, both in the public sector and in the
private one, as the principal obstacle for the project. The critics also have questioned the
affirmation of the president Enrique Bolaños that the channel of 277 kilometres might construct
him in 12 years and have expressed worry it brings over of the cost for the environment and the
aborigens of Nicaragua.

For this so controversial topic nowadays we have generated 2 key questions that they make us
think it brings over of this megaproject:

Is another Canal needed?

The defenders of the Canal say yes because the maritime traffic is going to double due to the
increasing demand of The United States and Latin America and the Panama Canal is not in
conditions to assume this increase of demand, the defenders mention a study of the signature
McKinsey and Company where it comes to the same conclusion but this signature has not wanted
to do the public study due to certain policies of privacy.

Does this project justify itself economically?

It is in this question where the division is very marked and the key point of the controversy, the
Government argues that if seeing the economic success of the Canal of Panama and his influence
for the Panamanian economy at the time for Nicaragua that is the second economy with major
poverty of the region after Haiti would represent a frisk of economic growth generating thousands
of indirect and direct employments moving Nicaragua to an economic enviable level in Latin
America. On the other hand the critics say that the numbers do not give, that 40 billion dollars that
are said are needed for this megaproject it is a cost so high that one would need a level of traffic
that does not exist, with this amount we are speaking about almost 4 times the Nicaraguan
economy and that though the Chinese are putting money the market he will not find financial
justification to finance this project. The construction of this project is compared with the
construction of the Hydroelectric China of 3 Throats, Jean Paul Rodríguez expert in transportation
of the Hofstra University says that the construction of the Nicaragua Canal would be the biggest
white elephant of the world and of the history.

Here we can read several comments of knowledgeable people of the topic on the Canal
construction:

o Martha Gilardoni, Venezuela

With the supposed corrupt precedents of the president Daniel Ortega, the destruction of
indigenous ancient territories and of a great drinking fountain, besides the environmental risks for
the pipeline, to simple sight is a disastrous project in exchange for alms that are not going to
change radically the misery of Nicaragua. Only it will make the rich ones richer, sacrificing the
whole additional century of unnecessary colonialism.

o Yordan Meneses, Costa Rica

Analyzing the current situation of Nicaragua, without effective means for his overcoming, I think
that in hundred years, the economic indexes would not change too much and the country would
continue suffering the same poverty that suffers nowadays. The construction of the channel, in
spite of the conditions that China put, will give enormous benefits to the country. Possibly a better
negotiation would help to shorten the time in which Nicaragua would be tied to slightly favorable
commitments. I think that it is suitable to carry out this project.

What does gain China with the Nicaragua Canal?

The benefits seem to be clear for Nicaragua, but some of them wonder how much can extract
China, as country in profit with the construction of this megaproject. Though the government of
Pekin does not appear officially as participant in the work, analysts consulted by BBC World
coincide with that there can be a relative improvement in the competitiveness of his products on
the cost of transport having got cheaper. Others appear towards the presence of China in Central
America and Latin America, markets where it has increased his participation in last years.

But some of them think that it is a part of a more wide play. " It would have a strategic access
closely together of North America, which at this moment does not have ", says World to BBC Heinz
Dieterich, investigator of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) of Mexico. " It is like a
chess ", is added by it. " China says: you try to construct a wall of containment in my immediate
vicinity, since we can do the same thing with Costa Rica, Mexico and now Nicaragua ". " With a
Canal which the energetic ones could be transported, certainly it is going to lower very much the
cost of moving the raw materials that are extracted from Latin America towards China ".

What does gain United States with the Nicaragua Canal?

Till now the analysts coincide with that an interoceanic channel in Nicaragua facilitates the step of
Chinese products to the major world economy, that of The United States. But it is not clear if it is a
dispute for the regional market. Pekin, says the academician Manríquez, has in Latin America an
economic presence " neither that nor Japan either in the 90s or the Soviet Union in the 70 never
imagined ". And nevertheless, Washington has been " extremely calm ". Why? " The relation
between China and The United States is intimate, they have more jointly that in conflict ", makes
clear World to BBC Arturo Cruz Sequeira, teacher of the Central American Institute of
Administration of Companies.

The economies of both countries represent more than 33 % of the world GDP, an information that
cannot scorn, adds the specialist, who was an ambassador of Nicaragua before the White House
between 2007 and 2009. Politicians and American businessmen search how to administer this
relation, whereas the dome of the Chinese government admits that this link is strategic in his
future, it explains. In this sense, it is not clear if an interoceanic channel in Nicaragua administered
by a Chinese company affects this relation. " In this project The United States implicitly has to be
able of veto ", he remembers Cross Sequeira, though he adds that it is improbable that it happens.
" The truth, it can be a project, which instead of them separating one to The United States and
China ", he concludes.