Friendship Bridge (Brazil–Paraguay)

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"Amizade Bridge" redirects here. For the bridge in Macau, see Amizade Bridge (Macau).
Friendship Bridge

Ponte da Amizade
The Friendship Bridge, with Paraguay on left side and Brazil on the right side.
Coordinates25°30′34.5″S 54°36′4.0″W / 25.509583°S 54.601111°W / -25.509583; -54.601111
CrossesParaná River
LocaleCiudad del Este, Paraguay and Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Preceded byAyrton Senna Bridge
Followed bySan Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge
Characteristics
DesignArch bridge
Total length552.4 metres (1,812 ft)
Longest span290 metres (951 ft)
History
Opened27 March 1965
Location
Map

The Friendship Bridge (Spanish: Puente de la Amistad, Portuguese: Ponte da Amizade) is an arch bridge connecting the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu and the Paraguayan city of Ciudad del Este.

History and importance

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Paraguayan President Alfredo Stroessner (right) and Brazilian President Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, during the opening ceremonies of the Friendship Bridge on 27 March 1965.

The bridge construction treaty was signed on May 29, 1956, by the governments of Brazil and Paraguay. On November 14, 1956, the commission responsible for the project's design and execution was established. At the time of its construction in 1962, the bridge held the world record for the longest span for a reinforced concrete, fixed-arch bridge, at 290 meters.[1][2]

The bridge is very important to the economies of both Foz do Iguaçu and Ciudad del Este.[3]

BR-277 begins immediately after the end of the bridge in the Brazilian side, and National Route N° 7 in the Paraguayan side.

Smuggling

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The Friendship Bridge is a major point for smuggling in the region, with Brazilians coming to purchase goods from Paraguay as Paraguay does not impose tariffs on foreign goods. Brazil has been imposing stricter border security to try and crack down on it.[4][5][6]

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  • The exact border point along the bridge.
    The exact border point along the bridge.
Panoramic view of Friendship Bridge from Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Guo, Rongxing (2015-01-05). Cross-Border Management: Theory, Method and Application. Springer. p. 260. ISBN 978-3-662-45156-4.
  2. ^ "Tudo sobre o bairro Centro Curitiba". www.encontracentrocuritiba.com.br. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
  3. ^ Goldberg, Maren (2007-09-06). "Ciudad del Este". Britannica. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  4. ^ Bevins, Vincent (2015-08-09). "Smuggling is just a way of life at Friendship Bridge". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  5. ^ Dalby, Chris (2022-09-06). "Paraguay Relies on Contraband Brazil Fights So Hard to Stop". InSight Crime. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  6. ^ Saenz, Jorge (2007-05-22). "Brazil, Paraguay struggle to combat smuggling". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
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