Will the Nicaraguan Canal project get a second chance?

Ideas for the construction of a waterway that will run through the territory of Nicaragua, becoming an alternative to the Panama Canal, arose in the XNUMXth century. The implementation of this project will significantly simplify the transportation of Venezuelan oil and other natural resources from Central and South America. Despite its freezing, in the current geopolitical conditions, the Nicaraguan Canal, the main ideological inspirers of which are the PRC and Russia, is acquiring increased significance.

In 2012, the National Assembly of Nicaragua approved the project for the construction of the "Great Transoceanic Canal". This decision of the country's authorities was justified by the following statements:



- The Panama Canal is physically, morally and technically obsolete in many aspects, therefore it does not meet the requirements of a dynamically developing world trade. In the very near future, the parameters of new large-capacity vessels will not allow them to use this waterway;

- the construction and operation of the new canal will allow Nicaragua to increase its GDP in record time, and further replenish the state treasury through tax revenues and other financial receipts from the use of the canal by third countries;

- the implementation of this project will lead to the fact that part of the territory of the state will turn into a new strategic transport hub of global importance, increasing the geopolitical status of Nicaragua on the world stage by an order of magnitude.


In June 2013, a law was passed in Nicaragua, according to which the planned canal was given to the concession for 50 years (possible extension for another 50 years after the expiration of the first term of the concession agreement) to the Hong Kong company HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co Ltd (HKND) and its owner Wang Jing. The estimated cost of implementing this project, which includes the construction of all necessary infrastructure, an international airport, ports and an oil pipeline, at that time was approximately $40 billion. 200 thousand workers were to take part in the construction process, and in total, approximately one million residents of Nicaragua and border states could get jobs at the project sites. It was assumed that the new canal would be 286 kilometers long (including 80 kilometers along Lake Nicaragua), up to 520 meters wide and 22 meters deep. Its technical parameters will make it possible to pass ships of large displacement.

It should also be noted that the Russian Federation was to play an important role in the implementation of this project. In 2015, the Navy of our country received official permission from the authorities of Nicaragua to be present in the territorial waters of the state, and aircraft - to barrage in the airspace. In addition, the Russian Federation plans to transfer high-tech construction systems to Nicaragua, which will be used in ongoing work. The Russian side will also monitor volcanic activity and tsunamis in the region.

Site preparation started in 2014. The work was accompanied by protests from the opponents of the project, who expressed their concern about the negative impact of the new channel on the environmental situation. Political The opposition in Nicaragua also drew attention to the inconsistency of certain clauses of the concession agreement with the Chinese company with the provisions of the country's Constitution. In 2015, active protests led the Chinese company HKND to announce its readiness to reroute the canal to bypass one of the cities, thereby increasing the cost of the project by at least $700 million.

In 2016, all construction work was frozen, the key factor in the suspension of the project in the media called the instability of the stock market of China, the financial problems of HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co Ltd and environmental conflicts amid the start of preparatory work. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that this project faced serious opposition from the United States of America, a whole campaign was unleashed against the construction of the canal. This situation looks absolutely logical, the United States is well aware that the emergence of a new waterway that will connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will seriously affect the profits received by the owners of the Panama Canal, which will negatively affect the geopolitical and economic the interests of the States.

Recently it became known that the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, signed a decree, which contains information that the deployment of Russian military bases and deployment of cruise missiles will be allowed on the territory of the state. This decision can become an important launching pad for the return of the Russian Federation and China to the implementation of this project. The emergence of a new water route looks especially beneficial in the new international realities, where our country and China can rightfully be considered the main allies, which are the main counterbalance to the international policy of the United States of America.

At present, the Russian Federation has all the necessary resources to fully ensure the safety of the construction of a new canal and its subsequent operation. Moscow and Beijing are connected by a long-term partnership within the framework of the SCO and BRICS, and for Nicaragua, the presence of our military contingent also looks extremely beneficial. It will help to stabilize the political situation in the region, protecting a small state from external provocations and internal struggle for power.

Summarizing all of the above, it is important to emphasize that the construction of the Nicaraguan Canal is an extremely interesting project. The alignment of forces in the region directly depends on its successful implementation. At the moment, all interested parties are actively monitoring the development of the situation. For China, it is extremely important to find sources of funding that will allow construction work to begin, for the Russian Federation - to have the appropriate military resources to ensure safe transit along the new water route. Nicaragua must provide Russia and China with all possible administrative and legal opportunities for the implementation of the project, and the United States must continue the information policy that will prevent the creation of an alternative route to the Panama Canal.