Bajo el Lema de Integración Regional y Alivio de la Pobreza: El Banco Europeo de Inversiones y su relación con IIRSA

The document analyzes the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) within the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA). It argues that IIRSA's focus on transport, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure poses significant risks to biodiversity and indigenous communities. The report claims the EIB's involvement, formalized through a 2004 memorandum with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), primarily benefits European corporations rather than local populations. It highlights a lack of environmental and social standards and criticizes the EIB for withholding project information. The report concludes that the alliance, supported by the European Parliament, promotes a developmentalist model that exacerbates social inequality and environmental degradation in Latin America.

• The Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA), created in 2000, aims for regional integration through transport, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure across 12 South American governments.
• IIRSA projects are criticized for lacking adequate environmental, social, and cultural standards, posing irreversible risks to biodiversity in areas such as the Andes, the Amazon Basin, the Pantanal, and the Paraguay and Paraná rivers.
• Between 1993 and 2004, over 90% of EIB loans for Latin America were directed toward subsidiaries of European companies or large transnational corporations, such as Shell, Repsol, British Gas, and Gas de France, while local private companies received only about 2%.
• The EIB is accused of refusing to disclose vital project information to affected communities, citing internal confidentiality, and failing to adopt modern environmental and public responsibility standards.
• A December 13, 2004, Memorandum of Agreement between the EIB and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) facilitates EIB's direct participation in IIRSA, specifically targeting projects involving EU private operators.
• The Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline, co-financed by the EIB and IDB, is cited as an example of the risks associated with regional projects, having impacted the Gran Chaco, Pantanal, and Mata Atlántica ecosystems.
• The European Parliament supports the EIB's role in Latin American infrastructure through resolutions promoting free trade and the 'Latin America Facility'.

APA

Martínez, A., Paím, E. S., & Bruil, J. (2006). Bajo el Lema de Integración Regional y Alivio de la Pobreza: El Banco Europeo de Inversiones y su relación con IIRSA. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IIRSA-EIB-final.pdf

Chicago

Martínez, Adriana, Elisangela S. Paím, and Janneke Bruil. Bajo el Lema de Integración Regional y Alivio de la Pobreza: El Banco Europeo de Inversiones y su relación con IIRSA. Friends of the Earth International, 2006. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IIRSA-EIB-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Martínez |first1=Adriana |last2=Paím |first2=Elisangela S. |last3=Bruil |first3=Janneke |title=Bajo el Lema de Integración Regional y Alivio de la Pobreza: El Banco Europeo de Inversiones y su relación con IIRSA |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=November 2006 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IIRSA-EIB-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{martnez2006bajo, author = {Martínez, Adriana and Paím, Elisangela S. and Bruil, Janneke}, title = {{Bajo el Lema de Integración Regional y Alivio de la Pobreza: El Banco Europeo de Inversiones y su relación con IIRSA}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2006}, month = nov, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IIRSA-EIB-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }