For Rent: $220 a monthMonday Falls (Saltos del Monday) are located in eastern Paraguay, close to the majestic Iguazú Falls and the Saltos del Guairá, a region of spectacular natural beauty. (Guairá Falls were drowned to build Itaipú dam.)
As part of a plan to build tourism and protect Paraguay's natural beauty, the Paraguayan government has undertaken an investment of $6.5 million USD to construct a look-out on Monday Falls, to develop the proper road work that can hold the kind of traffic they'd like to see, etc. Government planners took Iguazú Falls as their inspiration--a major tourist attraction not just for Argentina and Brazil, but for the entire world. The hope was to bring in millions of revenue to the government which could then be re-invested in social development.
Instead, the government will get $220 USD a month.
For the next twenty years, Acqua Paraná Tour, SA will pay the municipality of Presidente Franco a paltry $220 a month for the right to run the national park, to charge admission, to sell food and souvenirs. Within Paraguay, this smacks of an illicit deal where government funds were used to build massive infrastructure and then the financial benefits were problematically transferred to private hands. The local mayor is claiming this is a great deal for the municipality.
As part of a plan to build tourism and protect Paraguay's natural beauty, the Paraguayan government has undertaken an investment of $6.5 million USD to construct a look-out on Monday Falls, to develop the proper road work that can hold the kind of traffic they'd like to see, etc. Government planners took Iguazú Falls as their inspiration--a major tourist attraction not just for Argentina and Brazil, but for the entire world. The hope was to bring in millions of revenue to the government which could then be re-invested in social development.
Instead, the government will get $220 USD a month.
For the next twenty years, Acqua Paraná Tour, SA will pay the municipality of Presidente Franco a paltry $220 a month for the right to run the national park, to charge admission, to sell food and souvenirs. Within Paraguay, this smacks of an illicit deal where government funds were used to build massive infrastructure and then the financial benefits were problematically transferred to private hands. The local mayor is claiming this is a great deal for the municipality.
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