Starting this week, a security plan was implemented around the bridge, on the Brazilian side, and surrounding areas.
The initiative started from the public and private sectors in neighboring Foz de Yguazú, Brazil, who expressed concern about shoppers who are victims of robbery when trying to cross the Puente de la Amistad, heading to Ciudad del Este.
Brazilian tourists who regularly arrive in the capital of Alto Paraná, coming from different latitudes of Brazil, are victims of assaults and robberies when they prepare to cross the Friendship Bridge towards Paraguay.
While they wait in the long line on the BR277 – the highway that crosses the State of Paraná – aboard their private vehicles, minibuses or vans, they are easy targets for robbers.
This set off alarm bells, especially for the owners of hotels, restaurants and other sectors of Foz de Yguazú. All expressed their concern about the level of insecurity that frightens visitors who go to the Tres Fronteras region, attracted by shopping tourism.
In turn, this scourge was the subject of debate within the Technical Security Chamber (CTS) of the Foz Development Council (Codefoz), made up of representatives of the public and private sectors. Therefore, starting this week, a security plan is being implemented that covers the bridge on the Brazilian side and its immediate surroundings.
The objective of this operation is to provide guarantees to tourists and locals who cross daily from one side of the border crossing to the other. For now, no new incidents of thefts and assaults have been reported, both at the border crossing itself and at the access points on the Brazilian side.
insecurity in line
The focus of the intervention seeks to provide security in a radius of action, almost two kilometers long, between the viaduct on Juscelino Kubitscheck (JK) avenue in Foz de Yguazú and the Brazilian customs. In this extension of the road, when the movement is intense, users are highly exposed to the action of criminals, who take advantage of the collapse of vehicular traffic.
The agreement, the result of cooperation between institutions, allows for a greater police presence in the area in question; reinforcing the already existing security system in the morning hours, when the greatest flow of people and vehicles takes place, according to the data survey made by the member institutions of the Technical Security Chamber.
The public security institutions that participate in the actions are made up of the Federal Highway Police, Military Police, Municipal Police, Civil Police, Federal Revenue and the Transportation and Transit Institute (Foztrans).
“Jointly, we concentrate a greater number of troops in an integrated way and during high-flow hours, we carry out planned and strategic actions. The focus of this mobilization of the forces is to stop crimes in the lines for access to the bridge”, explained Fabiano Bordignon, delegate of the Federal Police.
Complement to existing weak security
The Federal Rodoviary Police (PRF) reported that days and hours of rotation were established so as not to let our guard down. In parallel, the security institutions continue to operate within their respective competencies, executing their work plans.
Based on this coordination, the expectation is to improve coverage around the bridge on the Brazilian side, according to Alister Neto, representative of the PRF.
He pointed out that the security work will go through some adjustments, which are normal, aiming to achieve greater effectiveness.