A ponte binacional como instrumento de integração transfronteiriça: entre o planejado e o efetivado

Abstract

The border between Amapá and French Guiana is the object of several studies carried out in a period prior to the opening of the Oyapock River Bridge in 2017. flows of people, vehicles and goods in order to answer the guiding question of this Technical Report: to what extent has the Binacional Bridge actually promoted cross-border integration between Amapá and French Guiana It was assumed that after construction delays and the need to sign agreements to facilitate Brazilians' access to French territory, its integration potential began to be questioned. For this investigation, bibliographical and documental research was carried out on the existing information on the subject to trace a history of bilateral relations between Brazil and France from the signing of the Framework Agreement, as well as to analyze the process of construction of the Bridge, from the bidding processes to its inauguration. Interviews were also carried out with political actors involved with this technical object, as well as data collection with agencies that act in the control and inspection of the Bridge (Polícia Rodoviária Federal, Polícia Federal e Receita Federal), to identify how these agencies act. Finally, we sought to assess the flows of people and goods since the opening of the Bridge from the data provided in this search and also from those made available through interviews. From this, it was possible to conclude that the opening of the Bridge positively influenced the number of exports from Amapá to French Guiana, however, due to the covid-19 pandemic, since 2020 the border has been closed, and it is not possible to have a movement of people on the bridge (except in special cases), and this negatively affected not only the number of people and vehicles that used it, but also the local commerce, which depends on this constant flow. In view of this, it can be said that the Bridge provides this integration in part, much more focused on economic issues, as although circulation may soon be normalized, Brazilians will continue to suffer from the barriers they have to access the French territory. So, for the integration to take place as thought when the Bridge was announced, in 1997, it is necessary that these issues are more present in the local, national and international agendas and that there is progress in relation to the agreements aimed at providing the Brazilians a greater facility to cross the border, as occurs with the French who cross to Brazil.