Bolivia's President Evo Morales, delivers a speech in the Session of Honor of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, in Trinidad city, Beni department, Bolivia, on Aug. 6, 2015, the 190th anniversary of the Bolivian Independence. (Xinhua/Freddy Zarco/ABI)
LA PAZ, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales Thursday unveiled a 600 million U.S. dollar preferential loan from the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) to finance the construction of the country's "longest road."
Morales unveiled the loan during a televised nationwide address marking the 190th anniversary of Bolivia's independence from Spain. The ceremony, held in the town of Trinidad, in the northeast department of Beni, was attended by senators and deputies as part of a special legislative session.
"I would like to take this opportunity to enact a loan for the department of Beni, for the construction of the Rurrenabaque-Riberalta roadway," Morales said, adding the project will cost "more than 600 million dollars."
The 508-km highway, part of a West-Northwest route (F8) linking the capital La Paz with Guayaramerin, on the Brazilian border, will be the country's "longest road," said Morales.
Construction will take place in four tracts: Rurrenabaque-Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa-Australia, Australia-El Choro and El Choro-Roberalta.
The project aims to spur development in Beni and the neighboring departments of La Paz and Pando, the Bolivian News Agency said, and facilitate transportation in the north by cutting distances and travel times.
