The program will finance the construction of 300 strategic bridges, adding 10,000 meters of new infrastructure.
The Board of Directors of CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean - approved on Thursday a loan for US$ 110 million to finance the National Bridges for Development Program “My Bridge” in Bolivia.
This initiative, led by the EMPODERAR Program, aims to promote integration and connectivity at the local, regional and national level, opening new horizons of opportunities for the Bolivian population.
The program will directly benefit more than 170,000 inhabitants and is emerging as a catalyst for development, with special emphasis on the empowerment of women leaders, rural communities and indigenous peoples.
Sergio Díaz-Granados, executive president of CAF, emphasized the transformative potential of this loan and that it would be an engine of change in Bolivian society that will mainly strengthen rural connectivity.
“We are not only building physical bridges, but also bridges to a future of prosperity, facilitating access to essential markets and services, and laying the foundations for sustainable and inclusive economic development in Bolivia,” said Díaz-Granados.
CAF indicated that the program is an innovative solution including criteria for adaptation to climate change in the face of the challenge of connectivity in rural areas of Bolivia, where departmental and municipal networks constitute 92% of the national road network.
This initiative promises to unlock the productive potential of the area of influence, promoting agricultural production, optimizing the marketing of products and ensuring greater efficiency in harvests.
CONSTRUCTION
Through a dynamic competitive fund, the program will finance the construction of 300 strategic bridges, adding 10,000 meters of new vital infrastructure.
The selection of projects will be carried out through a rigorous and transparent process, considering eligibility criteria that cover technical, environmental, social, gender and economic evaluations, thus ensuring a comprehensive and sustainable impact.
This program aligns perfectly with the goals of Bolivia's Patriotic Agenda 2025, promising to contribute significantly to the strengthening of food sovereignty and the sustained reduction of rural inequality in the highland country.
