Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has filed a complaint with the Organization of American States (OAS) against Argentina's unacceptable and protectionist decision to impose tolls on barges passing through the Paraná River waterway. However, he failed to mention the neighboring country during his appearance before the continental body's Permanent Council.
Argentina will continue to charge a toll to barges sailing through the Paraná River Waterway after no agreement was reached Tuesday during a Technical Commission meeting at the Brazilian Embassy in Buenos Aires.
With too much negotiating and no solution on the radar, the US-Paraguayan Chamber of Commerce (Usapacc) has asked President Joseph Biden's administration to get involved in the brokering of an answer to Argentina's decision to charge tolls to barges sailing through the Paraná River Waterway.
A Paraguayan barge with fuel seized by Argentine authorities for failure to pay the toll on the Paraguay-Paraná River Waterway has been released after posting nearly US$ 30,000, it was reported.
Citing security concerns and possible drug trafficking, Argentine authorities have upped their controls on Paraguayan barges sailing through the Paraná River, it was reported in Buenos Aires.
Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Uruguay insisted Wednesday on their objections to Argentina collecting tolls on the Paraná River Waterway and demanded the latter to halt that practice until it demonstrates services effectively rendered to navigation justify the measure.
Paraguay's recently instated president, Santiago Peña said he will continue engaging in dialogue with Argentina to reach a resolution regarding toll charges on the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway. “We do not deny the option of toll charges, but it should be an agreement among the five countries that use the waterway,” he asserted.
Brazil's Foreign Ministry Tuesday said Argentina charging tolls since the beginning of the year to barges sailing along the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway had affected other countries in the region and questioned the legality of the one-sided measure, Agência Brasil reported.
Brazil, Uruguay, and Bolivia Friday supported Paraguay's stance regarding Argentina's decision to charge tolls to barges sailing through the Port of Santa Fe-Confluencia section of the Parana River, it was reported in Buenos Aires after a new meeting of the Commission of the Paraguay-Parana Waterway Agreement.
As of Monday last week, Argentina's General Administration of Ports (AGP) started issuing invoices for navigation settlements of the previous months. In other words, a fee began to be collected for the passage of Paraguayan cargo through the Santa Fe-Confluencia section.