SALTO GRANDE: ITAIPU'S BIG NEIGHBOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000800080001-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 14, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Brazil's Oldest,
English Language
Daily
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/10/23: CIA-RDP08001297R000800080001-7
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VOL. 35 ? N.? 239
RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1989
Salto Grande: Itaipu's Big Neighbor
'*
By Ruben I. de Iloyos
From the Americas -
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When
I visited the pyramids of Egypt for
the first time, they were already
built. When I visited Persepolis for
the first time, it had, of course,
already been destroyed.
But when I returned to the site
of the Salto Grande Dam after a
relatively short absence, it was
being built. What I saw appeared
to me to be magic.
I had already been there, at the
same place, when there was no one
but myself and the vast Uruguay
River, broad, sliding away like
some great boa constrictor with
muddy flanks toward the Atlantic,
Miles downstream to the south,
carrying away unused the
, hydroelectric energy whose har-
nessing, someday, had been
discussed for almost a century.
Today, at the rate of one every
three months, the fourteen
hydroelectric turbines that will
produce 1,890,000 kilowatts
around 1981 are being installed.
Yesterday there was nothing, or
almost nothing, beyond plans.
Today, from one bank to the other,
a wall of concrete a hundred feet
high rises above the bed of the
river, almost half a mile wide
where the two powerhouses are
implanted, reinforced by two
enormous embankments whose
face totals almost a mile and a
half, to create a new artificial lake
of 5 billion cubic yards of water. It
all seems to have been done by
magic. But it wasn't. It was simply
hard work.
Four thousand engineers,
technicians, and construction
workers from Argentina and
Uruguay, who had been there since
April 1, 1974, worked three shifts,
day and night, in the light of the
sun and in the glare of the
floodlights, getting ready to bring
the first turbine on stream in July
1979, exactly on schedule. That
was the first time work stopped in
1,905 days of uninterrupted effort.
Joint Project
The Salto Grande hydroelectric
darn is a joint project of Argentina ,
and Uruguay on the Uruguay ?
River, The .planning) began in
1$90, In the first Stage, the efforts
" individual visionaries' 'either
were not" understood or were..
ignored by the interests and ideas
of the time. Next, it was taken up
by engineers like the Uruguayan
Juan T. Smith (1907) and the
Argentines Humherto Gamberale
and Francisco A. Mermoz (1920-
1928), -
But it was not until 1938 that the
project received serious con-
sideration, On January 13, 1938,
the joint Argentine-Uruguayan
Salto Grande Mixed Technical
Commission (CTM) was
established, which today is still
carrying on the work of the first
proponents. Like them, it is
sometimes ignored, sometimes
forgotten for years, subject to
national, regional, or international
pressures. It was during the second
stage that vigorous efforts were
made to create the legal and
( technical structure for the future
dam. ,The Fundamental Act of
1938 was followed in 1946 by the
Agreement and the Additional,
Protocol (30 December); which
was finally ratified by the
Uruguayan, Government on
August 13, 1958. (Argentina had
already done so in 1948.)
Around 1960, studies showed
that Salto Grande was technically
feasible and financially viable.
Furthermore the legal and ad-
ministrative instrument for
bringing it into being, the Mixed'
Technical Commission, had
already been established. i The
' design of the final plans began to:
1take shape, but they were to need
._ almost thirteen more years before
4,000 engineers,
technicians, and
construction workers,
here day and
night since April 1,
1974.
AREA SERVE?
Corpus Dam, to provide 5 million,
Argentines and Uruguayans are
putting the finishing touches on
the first regional dam -- the Salto
Grande ? a model for the in-
fegration of the River Plate Basin.
Although Salto Grande actually
remodels the local topography, the
major concern of the CTM
authorities from the outset was to
maintain and improve the
ecological balance. It was therefore
not surprising that in 1978 the UN
Environmental Protection
Program declared Salto Grande "a
world model of ecologidal
preservation."
Each historical age appears to
channel its collective efforts in
different ways and for different
purposes. The Chinese built the
Great Wall, in part out of fear of
the invader. Egypt's pyramids, like
?????? POWER LINES so many monuments of the past,
were built by slaves to corn-
Map by Fain& memorate the dead among the
' living. Persepolis, like many
The Salto Grande
hydroelectric dam is a joint project
, of Argentina and Uruguay.
The planning began in 1980.
It wil be completed ? finally --- by 1981,
producing 1,890,000 kilowatts of power.
they were complete. In 1973 the
final engineering plan was ready,
that of Charles T. Main and
Associates. In addition, by
coincidence, 1973 was the year in
which the fossil energy structure of
the world was shaken.
Hydroelectric plants ceased to
be merely possible and advisable.
Salto Grande became in-
dispensable.
Since work began, Salto Grande
has become a technical training
school where hundreds of,
Argentines and Uruguayans have
enriched their knowledge through
the transfer of technologies
brought by international con-
tractors selected by stringent
competition from among the best
in the World. (In due course they
will be able to apply that
knowledge to new projects now
under study.),
The management of the CTM
has bat UP, an excellent - work
team with Uniquesharacteristics.
To walk through. the works is to
fake 'd trip around the World: the
enormous' cranes? perchFd like
gigantic praying mantises on the
crest of the dam come from
Wagner Biro (Austria); an Italian-
Argentine-Uruguayan consortium
(Impregilo- Sollazot Impresit
Sideco-Alvaro Palenga) has done
the civil engineering; the electrical
equipment (Kaplan turbines and
generators) is being constructed
and installed by V the Soviets
(Energomachexport); tran-
sformers, by Mitsubishi (Japan);
and on and on. Charles Main from
Boston, and Associates, from
Argentina and Uruguay,- are
responsible for, checking the
quality of the construction work.
Almost V a dozen countri,es are.
involved in it.
enormous amount of working
capital.
Since the first turbine came on
stream in late 1979, hundreds of
millions of dollars have already
been received from sales of
electrical power. The decision
taken in 1973 to build Salto
Grande fills the two nations with
pride. For decades, international
credit instutions had denied the
loan because petroleum was cheap
and appeared inexhaustible, and
hydroelectric energy was, im-
mediately at least, more costly.
The 1973 oil embargo, which
changed the structure of the
economic and political world in
more ways than one, had for the
' two neighboring nations of the
River Plate the unsuspected merit
of accelerating regional integration
around a common resource: water,
I provided:
Water to supply communnie
and satisfy their- domestid an
industrial needs..
? Water to irrigate five huticire
new cultivable square miles.
40 Water power to generate,
almost 2 million, kilowatts of
electricity. .
? Water to improve navigation,
conditions for vessels with drafts of
i-up to eight feet as far as the '
Argentine-Brazilian border ,ninety
miles upstream. The vast artificial 1
lake has eliminated therapicl that t
gave their name to the area (Salto
Grande and Salto Chico). Now
there is a canal some seven miles'
long, with two locks on the )
Argentine side.
? Water for tourist recreation. 'tz
Water for sports fishing. Water for t
commercial fishing ? the catch is
expected to reach seven thousand
tons annually.
Salto Grande has had many
more effects. The electrical het-
works of Argentina and Uruguay
are integiated. Along the top of the
dam. another connecting highway
haS been opened, and, for the first
time, the nterconnection of the
Argentine and Uruguayan railways
has become possible.
According to the -U.S.
Geological Survey, South America
has a hydroelectric potential of 500
million kilowatts. Upstream on the
Parana River the largest dam in
the world is under construction 'f
between Brazil and Paraguay ?
the Itaipil Binational Dam, which
will provide 12 million kilowatts.
On the same river, Argentina and
Paraguay are building the
Yacyreta Apipe Darn, to providei
3.5 million kiloWatts, and the
OAS
The Organization of American
States gave the project the benefit
of its studies on the River Plate
Basin, and in 1973 the Inter-
American Development Bank'
(IDB) extended international
credit with a loan of $200 million.
When it was signed for Argentina
by Alejamdro Orfila, then his
country's ambassador to
Washington it was the largest loan
ever made by the IDB.
The fact that the loan represents
only 20 percent of the total cost of
the work (USS1 billion) shows how'
great a financial effort if means for
the two countries of Argentina and
Uruguay to furnish such an
another royal palace, was built to
exalt a triumphant king over the
monarchs he had defeated, and in
the end the ruins came to be the
final monument of his own defeat.
Six Million People
Salto Grande, a monument of
our time, was constructed
primarily to improve the standard
Of living of six million people Vfl a
territory of 115,000 square miles
--- the whole of Uruguay plus, in
Argentina, the provinces of Entre
Rios and Santa Fe and the extreme
north of the Province of Buenos
Aires.
And Salto Grande was not
constructed by slaves. Protected by
social laws, the workers of both
nations enjoy economic, medical,
and pension benefits, and in-
dustrial safety conditions that, by
themselves, are a model of in-
ternational labor relations, a
veritable new chapter in labor
legislation made necessary by the
integration of the region.
Two housing settlements, one in _
Concordia, Argentina, and the
i,rott.er in Salto, Urugi? ay, were built
35th Veal!
Sdo Paulo Film Fest
Opens Today at MASP
SAO PAULO (Brazil Herald)
? Film festivals have always
served the function of bringing
- to light the experimental and
controversial. When they take._
*place in Brazil, they perform a
third, equally important
function. they screen political
films which would otherwise be
prevented from reaching the
public by the dual pressures of
censorship and commercial
inviability.
Last year, during its 5th"
international film festival, the
Sao Paulo Museum of Art
(MASP) showed for the first
time in Brazil, Nacisha
Oshima's 'Imperio dos Sen-
tidos'. Now, almost a year later,
the same film has been given
the censor's blessing and is on
general release. This year.
MASP is concentrating on films.
that are unlikely to hit the
commercial round ? films
from the socialist countries, ,
from other Latin American-1
cQuntries and experimental
films, principally from the
United States, Italy, and
France.
The festival starts today with
Reiner Fassbinder's The
Wedding of Maria Braun.
Among the highlights of the
next two weeks are Andy
'Warhol's. 'Flesh', Vokee
Schloendorff's The Tin Drum
(winner at the last CanneS.
festival), Clauber ROcha's t,
ldade Da Terra' and Waite,.
Fleynowski and' Schumann'S'
'Cambodia, Death and,,,,
Resurrection'.
In all, there are 35 feature
length films and 20 shorts. A
different film will be shown
each day, in two OtV three
cOnSecutive sessions. Entrance
is a modest Cr$50. MASP is
located on Avenida, Paulista.
To accommodate the workers in
hundreds of houses and apart-
ments. A fleet of buses transports
them to the work site and back
again every day; and at lunch time,
to the communal dining rooms,
The outstanding community
work ethic is visible in the en-
thusiasm of the young guides who
take visitors around the works. It is
perceptible in the engineers and
technicians who explain the
project with something more than
mere professional interest to
visitors as they walk through
concrete tunnels and rooms in the
entrails of the dam' several yards
_ under the bed of the river.
There is a consciousness of
being a creative part of something
visibly great, predictably enduring,
humanly useful for others. I
imagine that for our generation of
high consumption, of discards and
disposables, it is a kind of sub-
stitute for immortality at least as
enduring as the verses of the poet
Horace (Exegi monutnentum...) or
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/10/23: CIA-RDP08001297R000800080001-7
the pyramids of Egypt or the
cathedrals of Europe. -
When we took off from the
airport at the Uruguayan city of
Salto and the jet, after a' gentle
curve, set a course of BuenoS Aires,
a little more than 'half ,an hour
away it was possible to see on the
horizon the sharp outline of the
Salto Grande Darn across the
Uruguay River.
After all, ? perhaps there is
something of magic there. Is it nof
rnagkal to change the course
nature? And isn't the idea Of
sudden and marvelous change
suggestive of magic?
Yes, there must have been
:iomething magical about it; but
the rest was, and is, simply hard
'work.
Argentine RulyM J. de Hoyos,
who received his doctorate in
,government from Nev York
University, is the coordinator ,of
the Latin American Studies
program at the University of
Wisconsin, Oshkosh.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/10/23: CIA-RDP0800197R00080008000117
Page 2
BRAZIL HERALD, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1980
Brazil Heral
iEditorial
The Trouble
= A nekative aspect of Bra-
zilian politics is the, difficulty
encountered by the members
of government to explain
clearly and precisely their
- administrative aims and
programs.
The new economic policy
announced' last week opens. the
eyes of many people to the dif-
ficulties of a hard reality which
' the authorities so far seemed
; to ignore.
, It is difficult to understand,
- however, why these far-rea-
ching modifications were
announced by the minister of
planning during an informal
talk with journalist, as if it'
were an information item
without major importance.
The lightheartness in coping
with the problems indilcates
that the government doe,s not
have a definitive strategy for
, preparing the people and the
? nation for the dramatic times
that will have to be endured as
- a result of the new policy. ?
Actually, the entire artti-in-
flationary policy is to chunv:
Instead of looking for solutions
in the international finance
world, efforts now are to be
centered on popular savings,
but the nation has been called
to participate in the new
decisions or give opinions.
President Figueiredo's
? address recently to the re-
presentatives of commercial
associations featured a new
style. He said that social peace
? is both a previous condition
and a final. result of the po-
litical normalization. This
- sounds ambiguous.
Figueiredo's good intentions
are not doubted by the
people, but the announcement
r7r11_
of an entirely new economic'
policy in substitution for an
another new economic policy
announced one year ago',1
causes concern. Does the
President mean the- nation
should wait patiently for the,
results of the new 'Policy and
consequent social peace before
complete democratic normality'
is e?tablished? This
recalls 'what predecessors of
Figueir4do used to say, that
political demOcraCy depended
on the previoUs establishment
of "economic democracy'? and
"social democracy". But those
conditions never were
achieved.
The Minister of Trade and
Industry Camilo Penna dis-
covered that "we are entering
an area of turbulence." He
hinted toward possibilties of
what he called a system for
compulsory savings.
What., does compulsory
savings mean? New taxes?
Confiscation of revenues? In
any case, it would have fea-
tures of expropriation of tb
frilit of work. But bo definiti.4
olvxhatever has been given on
whose revenue would be cog-
figcated and who would have
to pay new and more taxes.
It is evident, however, that a,
system of compulsory saving
will call also for a compulsory,,
political regime. ,
Promising political 9penin
while making it dependent on
solution of the economic crisis
is ambiguous. Such ambi-
guities. historically have been
thp Trojan horses for introduc-
tion' of totalitarian re-
gimes.
0 EST/WO DE SAO PAULO III
.1`
New
Anita Piraja 1980
president of the
American Wives of
Brazilians club con?
filmed the 1981 board as
follows: president ?
, Patricia Cavalcanti (who
was president' in 1971),.
vice president -- Kay
Barroso (president 1979),
Secretary Mary
Dreifus, treasurer Kay
tea chairman ?
Gloria Esteves with
Gloria ReiNehneider
cers Named of Wives Group
assisting, house ?
`Danelle Velloso,'
member-at-large ? Irene
Nei'va de Figueiredo,
bulletin ? Verna Mae,
Caitro Barbosa, program
? Elizabeth Pereira.
Congratulations was
expressed to Mary Jane
Guerra and her com-
mittee for getting the'
board together.
Midge, Doyle in-
troduced the guest
speaker ? Patricia Robb
who was formerly fashion
writer for Women's Wear.
'Daily, Vanity Fair,
Harper's Bazaar and free:
lance writer for the
former U.S. published
Brazil Post.
Patricia Robb said she
was delighted to speak to
club members -- she had
given talks in the U.S.A.
on fashion shows. She
spoke on fashion trends
Escola Americana:
Three Generations
_RIO DE JANEIRO
(BH) ? 'At a special
assembly of tlie High_
Copacabana,
Art Show
RIO DE JANEIRO
(BH) ? An exhibition
of paintings by
Gerardo de Bar-
ros, Hermelindo
Fiamingui, Lotha
Charoux, Luiz
Sacilotto, Maria
Leriontina,' Mauricio
Nogueira Lima, is
currently on view at
the Palace-- des Arts
gallery oit Arlette
Amiel,* Av,
Atlantka 4240, ioja
207, Shopping Cassino
Atlantico -
The exhibition is open
from Monday-,
Saturday from 11 a.m.
? 10 p.m.
School of the Escola
Americana of Rio de
Janeiro, the school
marked the first occasion
on which thre,e
generations of the same
family have been enrolled
at the Escola Americapa.
With the presence of
Mrs. Gilbert E.
Strickland, one of the
founders in 1937 of the
Escola Americana, the
school presented special
commemorative plaques
to her son, Fred W.
Strickland, a member of
the Class of '44; to Mrs.
Ann Louise Strickland
Faro, a member of the
Class of '70 and Mr.
Strickland's daughter;
and to Bruno Strickland
Faro, newly enrolled in
the nursery, a member of
the Class of '94. Bruno is
'Mrs. Gilbert Strickland's
great-grandson.
The assembly was
marked by: speeches.
in the U.S.A., and also'
mentioned that Italy
- reflects pants in every-
shape and style.
In discussion with club
members it was agreed
''that Brazilian dress very
well in keeping up with
fashion trends which are
copied here long before
they get to New York;
however, one finds thatl
fashion changes set
-quickly that dresses can
- only be used for few:
occasions. S?Paulo has
more sophisticate&
clothes and the best
winter wear, whereas Rio,
has a fabulous selection:
of beach wear. It was
agreed that most clothes
in Rio are for the young
and classic styles are not
easily available.
Following the talk
those present enjoyed O,
delicious- tea of home-p
_backed' 'cakes and
cookies.
The next meeting
of the American Wive
'of Brazilians will be on
Dec. ,3 at' 2 p.m. at the
home of Susan Zobaran.
For infOrmation about
the club call president
Anita Piraja 227-1700,
who welcomes rneW.
members ,? the
qualification is that you,
have to be an Americah
Married to a Brazilian.,
RIO DE JANEIRO (1311) ? Prior to the Navy League dinner dance held
on October 18 at the Club :Vfonte Libano to host Admiral Peter K. Cullins,
his wife, Valaree and fellow Anieriean and Brazilian naval officers cf the
Joint UNITAS XXI Naval Maneuvers:, U.S. Consul General John De Witt
weldomed them to Rio with a cocktail buffet theU.S? Consulate General.
Ray inonde Vasconcellos A n album was
told of life in the school p rese nted t o t he
when it was first founded Strickland family,
in a building on Vieira, containing photographs
Souto. Vasconcellos has of the graduating class of
been with the American 1940 and of all of the
School since 1938. Isabel school buildings past and
Pinto, secretary of the present.
High School, spoke about , Attending , the
incidents in the second ceremony were Ian Scott, '44.
home of the school,
located in Leblon. Pinto Chamber ltlember
has completed 34 years of
service as secretary. Dr.
president of the Board of
Directors; Jame,s
Stricklarid, "Bill's"
younger' bother and a
member of the Class of
'52; and Mrs. Isabelle
Rendall, a. former
member of the board and
a member of the Class of
Offers Clerical Help
Gilbert C. Brown, the SYLVIA IIARKALY1 'or herself offering
headmaster, then spoke whom must of the ousiness services:
about, humorous , in- American,. ,., community. Printing production.
cidents in the founding of, knew when she was 4 (annual reports, leafletsr
the' present site of, the staff' member at the house , newsletterSi
school on Estrada da 'American, Chamber" ol projects), microfilming
Gavea?. many years, business! (services, . equipmenti,
, - 'testing), " acquisitions
ordic Bazaar Slated mergers (consultant),
translations (English-
To Be Held in Rio Portuguese; English),
, and escort-interpreter
0 DE JANEIRO, caviar? herrings, -1(for business visitors),
(BH) ? The traditional, glassware; etc.
Nordic Fair Scacan. ' .7 The Nordic fair is for. Her address is AL
dinavian haiaai will be the, benefit of the Gabriel Monteiro d4
held oil NOV. 18 from 11 Scandinavian- Seamen's. 1253, apartment 81
at gni Mission administered by 01441, Sao Paulo
BarbOsa. 174, 2nd floor.' Swedish Pastor Hans telephone (oil) 2821
Princess Itagnbild-Mrs. RogIvstee. 6456..
Erling Lorentzen,' will
open the haxaar.
' .
Irish Vice Consul ,Neyda
acintho Villela of the Rede
and, Rogcrio, sow" of Mr.
-en dos Santos, exchanged
mate Silo Bento Monaster-,
r 25. The newlyweds will,
anta Teresa. The bride will
, work at the Rio Cultura
i as an electronic engineer.
Danish open - sand
wiches, Swedish' bread
and pastries will be-
served'with coffee. There
will be many , Scan-
dinavian items for gifts,
Christmas deCorations,
home-made candled
(nod-drip), Swedish
nual Thansgiving
est ai,US consulate
luo DE JANEIRO (BH) ? The traditional
Thanksgiving service will be held at the U.S.
Consulate on Thursday Nov. 27, with coffee and
pumpkin pie at 10 a.m. and an ecumenical service
at 11 a.m., with the participation of the Escola
Americana chorus, under the direction of Laura
Chipe.
ers To Hold Bi-National Workshop
DISsalc4r,' S age t a Dabhart, Lynn Fedorka, audience fully ap- selection, and were
Jackson, Susie Lewis,, Larraine Monteito, Dick predated the wit and helped in its presentation
d Laura chipe, Ruth and and Marta Rofritch, Bill humanity of such con- by Marcia Krengiel, Luis
a - Ed Staton, Katie Benton, Seydorka, Andre Merril tempory literary figures Cunha and Tulio Simons
g Vicki and CleT Kobrak, Giag Worthington and as Carlos Drummond de Reis.
a Ken Pollard,- Reg .Bill Cipolla. Andrade, Manuel
Sturrock,- Chris Hieatt, After the interval B an de ir a Ce cilia The next tvorkshop
If Rabin Brown,- Fiona Brazilian members took Meireles and Vinicius de 1970 1980 will take
Brown; Nellike Beith, the stage, persenting MoraeS, plus the foot place on Nov. 27 at 8:30
d Chas Mabau, Jose Sabel modern Brazilian poetry tapping rhyihmns of p.m. at the Community
it Maria Auxiliardora, and music in Portuguese popular music. John and Hall, Real Grandeza
In ',Christine Nestor, Brandy_ and translation. The Ewa Proctor arranged the 99.
h, ArrtinAM I- rn1 AR I- I IAA 71 ir,
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/10/23: CIA-RDP08001297R000800080001-7 I
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