Located in what thus far has been a lightly traveled corner of the Amazon, the Friendship Bridge linking Brazil and Peru sees little traffic—a few motorized tricycles, an occasional collective taxi and once in a long while a truck. But local entrepreneurs see opportunity coming down the road served by the span over the Acre River: the Interoceanic Highway, which runs all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast and will soon be paved along its entire length. Across the river from the Peruvian community of Iñapari, a sign outside a customs consultant’s office beside the town square in Assis, Brazil, advertises transactions involving not only Brazil and Peru, but also China. And small wonder: the prime purpose of the Interoceanic Highway... [Log in to read more]