Bolivia asks Argentina to clear border river blockage

Bolivia on Tuesday urged Argentina to clear up the blockage of a border river in Argentina's northeastern Formosa province to save the livelihood of Bolivian fishermen.

Bolivia says the blockage of the Pilcomayo River in the Argentine province has put local Bolivians in deep water as they depend almost exclusively on fisheries.

The Bolivian Foreign Ministry has requested a meeting with Argentine ambassador Horacio Macedo to discuss this issue, the ministry said in a statement.

The Argentine embassy has pledged to coordinate efforts through a bi-national commission that can deal with the authorities in Formosa, which wants to drain the river where it is blocked.

Bolivia is also contacting the Formosa government, the Foreign Ministry said.

The river was blocked due to erosion and the transportation of sediments in the higher river basin, as well as excessive accumulation of mud in the flow, the Bolivian ministry said.

The 1,100-km-long Pilcomayo River runs through Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay. It joins the Paraguay River near Asuncion.

Source: Xinhua

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