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The signatory countries of the Paraguay-Paraná Maritime Convention call on Argentina to end its hostile stance, lift the obnoxious toll collection in Paraná and facilitate free navigation, as they are obliged to do in accordance with current regulations. It has no right to create obstacles to the freedom that governs international rivers so that ships can flow without disturbance, as it did with a Paraguayan-flagged ship that it improperly detained last Friday.

In a statement issued on Sunday the 10th of this month, the governments of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay indicated that they regret the unilateral and arbitrary rule adopted by Argentina, and reiterated their request to suspend the implementation of the decisions of the Ministry of Transport in the country. That country imposes this hateful rule. “The governments of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay regret the measures imposed by the Argentine Republic that restrict navigation in the waterway between Paraguay and Paraná by applying unilateral and arbitrarily defined fees outside the Santa Cruz de la Cruz Convention and other existing international regulatory provisions,” the statement said. .

Taking into account that Argentina seized a barge flying the Paraguayan flag that was transporting petroleum products, the document notes that the four governments “express their particular concern because it is a restriction of the freedom of transit of strategic and sensitive goods of a signatory state that has committed itself.” Fuel supply and this could affect the prices of the mentioned inputs, which represents a serious impact that exacerbates the vulnerability of the mentioned country due to its status as a landlocked state. The four countries ask the neighboring country to “adopt the necessary measures to guarantee freedom of navigation and transit and to refrain from applying other restrictive measures to navigation until the dispute is resolved at the intergovernmental level of the waterway.”

The aggressive position of the neighboring state cannot be accepted, and the national government has the right to take the declared measures of filing a lawsuit and initiating arbitration. The Argentine authorities must abandon the unfriendly measures they have taken and put aside the aggression they are committing. You cannot talk about good neighborliness or brotherhood between nations when they act as aggressively as they do. Against the current legal regulations they have to adhere to.

The Santa Cruz de la Sierra Agreement, signed by the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in July 1992, clearly stipulates freedom of navigation and prohibits the imposition of tolls and obstacles to freedom of navigation on rivers in the country. Region. “The signatory states mutually recognize freedom of navigation in the entire waterway for ships flying their own flags, as well as for ships flying third flags,” the document says in its fourth article.

In its fifth article, the agreement prohibits the imposition of fees or taxes on ships, as it stipulates that “it is not permissible, without prior agreement from the signatory countries, to impose a tax, levy, tribute, or right on transportation, ships, or their cargo based solely on the facts of navigation.” As it turns out, the agreement prohibits the imposition of fees or taxes on ships. The above-mentioned international agreement is very clear in its provisions, so it can be concluded that the decisions of the Argentine Ministry of Transport imposing fees in Paraná constitute an unfortunate violation of an international rule. Although they do not have sufficient legal value, because given the priority of standards, a ministerial decision cannot amend what the decree says. Or a law, let alone an international agreement.

The Argentine government’s decision to impose fees on the waterway is ridiculous, apart from having no legal value. If the matter did not represent a serious event causing a lot of economic damage, it would be ridiculous for a ministerial decision to be issued wanting to cancel an international treaty. Because it is illogical and unreasonable. Argentina must stop imposing tariffs and free Parana from obstacles. In addition, it must financially compensate affected companies by returning improperly collected funds.