“China, Brazil, Peru Eye Transcontinental Railway Megaproject”, May 19 2015

A major South American infrastructure deal is in the works as China’s prime minister tours the region this week. Beijing is hoping to back and build an ambitious interoceanic railway between Brazil and Peru that could make for faster, cheaper transportation of local commodities to resource-thirsty Chinese markets. It’s an unprecedented project in Latin America that’s already raised some flags over environmental and human rights risks, and analysts say it could be the biggest test yet of China’s growing relationship with the region…“This is a very controversial project,” said Julia Mello Neiva…[from]…the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre…“China has already been operating in lots of other countries and had lots of problems by not respecting social and environmental protections, so I think there is room for civil society groups to try to engage and make sure that there will be meaningful consultations at every stage,” she said.