Flying Thinktank Over the Amazon

...and (2) the widening of the main course of the Amazon River into a gigantic lake which would flood large areas of lowland swamp...

...The uproar began when a delegation from the National Academy of Sciences, two State Department representatives, and twelve university advisers met in Rio de Janeiro with the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture and National Rbsearch Council to discuss the establishment of several research centers to study forestry and farming in the basin...

...Both papers use the systems analysis approach to evaluate the feasibility of constructing earth dams at appropriate river sites to create two networks of artificial lakes...

...The first such network according to the paper entitled "A South American Great Lakes System", would connect the maJor river systems of the rain forest interior...

...This project entails building two dams to transform the A- trato and San Juan Rivers into artificial lakes which would then be linked together by a system of canals...

...Reis also claimed that the Rand Corporation and the Hudson Institute, two non-profit organizations that do research for the Pentagon, were conducting scientific research in the Amazon basin without Brazilian authorization...

...The map below shows the proposed locations of the artificial lakes:N A C L A NEW S L E T T ER Otober 167 - 8 As the above map indicates, the scheme focuses primarily upon two large construction projects in the Amazon: (1) the construction of an artificial lake between the Orinco and Negro rivers, bordering upon Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil...

...Certainly we have never advocated internationalizing the region...

...For instance, the proposed Amazon lake would make accessible by waterway the fertile highlands of the Amazon region which are now isolated due to intervening swamps and rapids...

...He went on to says "Some of us have suggested, however, that the potential for econoni development of the entire Amazon basin, including portions of Brazil, Peru, Clobia, and Bolivia could be greatly improved through comprehensive study...

...embassy, Brazilian government officials and the conservative Brazilian press...

...see map below) The Hudson Institute team devised the Choco Development Project under contract from the Colombian Ministry of Public Works, with some technical assistance from the Inter- American Devlopaent Bank and the Inter-American Committee of the Alliance for Prog- ress (CIAP...

...The artificial lake-systems proposed would be constructed primarily according to the Institute Studies, to facilitate development of the surrounding regions...

...Yet two papers published by the Hudson Institute in 1966, written by staff member, Robert Panero, show that contrary to its previous claims, the Institute has conducted aerial surveys of not only the Amazon River delta but of other river deltas in South America...

...Pre- sumably the timber and agricultural products of the region would be shipped down the Amazon lake to the sea and from there to the urbanized southern sectors of Brazil and other parts of the world...

...He then denounced the project publicly as a conspiracy to internationalize the region...

...Such accessibility would make possible the exploitation of valuable resources such as timber and rich soil...

...Arthur Ferreira Reis, the Amazonias governor, was present, according to the article, but left the meeting in disgust...

...The second paper, entitled "Choco Development Project", proposes the construction of an interoceanic canal system in the northwest section of Colombia to connect the Car- ibbean with the Pacific...

...A Washington Post article entitled "Brazilians Cry Plot Over Aazon Plan" (Juna 6, 1965) reported a controversy in Brazil over a proposal for international cooperation on research in the Amazon River basin...

...Increasing navigability of the rivers is seen as secondary...

...Reis's accusations were denied by the U.S...

...In addition Anthony J. Wierner, assistant to the director of the Hudson Institute is quoted as having said: "Hudson personnel have not been conducting any studies or even visits in the Brasilian Amazon...