Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega and vice president Rosario Murillo at the September 14 celebration in Managua. Photo: Twitter/@Canal2Nicaragua.
In a speech given on Wednesday, September 14, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega called once again for the construction of an interoceanic canal through the Central American country.
“At some point a canal will be a reality here in Nicaragua. Why? Because it is true that the canal through Panama has been expanded, but the demands of international traffic are so great that a canal is necessary for Nicaragua as well,” said Ortega in a speech given on Wednesday to celebrate the 201st anniversary of the independence of Nicaragua and the 166th anniversary of the historic battle of San Jacinto.
He stressed that the canal will belong to Nicaragua and its people and will contribute to peace and greater economic development.
The head of state also promised to guarantee the life, health, education, peace, and well being of Nicaraguans with the construction of the interoceanic canal.
The canal project promoted by Ortega was approved by the Sandinista majority of the National Assembly (Parliament) on July 3, 2012, and a year later, responsibility for the construction and administration of the canal was handed over to the Chinese company Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development (HKND) Group.
The canal, announced as “the largest civil engineering project in the history of humanity,” would join the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean and would cross the south of the country from east to west, with a 278-kilometer-long wet road, 230 to 520 meters wide and 30 meters deep.
(HispanTV)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KZ/KW
