Definition of Triple Frontier

Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are three South American nations that converge in one area, the Triple Border. In geographical terms this circumstance is known as trifinio. In the past, this border intersection area was known as "the area of ​​the three borders" but from the 90's it was renamed with the current name.

An area that stands out for its tourist attractions and for its multi-ethnic dimension

From a tourist point of view, the Triple Frontier offers interesting attractions to visitors: viewpoints at its border landmarks on the Iguazú River (a tributary of the Paraná River), former Jesuit missions, tax-exempt commercial areas and the proximity of the Iguazu.

Moreover, it is a territory with a great diversity ethnicity, as there is a high population of Arab, Korean, Indian and Chinese origin. As is logical, its inhabitants have diverse religious beliefs, as there are Catholics, Buddhists and Muslims. Many of the schools in this area are bilingual, since its inhabitants have the need to travel daily from one country to another.

Three cities with high rates of conflict

Like other border areas, in this geographic area there are levels of delinquency very high. We can highlight the activities of drug trafficking, the illegal arms trade, street crime and counterfeiting of luxury brands.

In Ciudad del Este belonging to Paraguay, in the city of Foz do Iguazú in Brazil and in the Argentine city of Iguazú there is an intense traffic of arms and contraband. The three cities constitute one of the areas with the greatest commercial activity in the world and a large part of this activity is outside the law. In this area its inhabitants live in a weather from unsafety permanent.

It is estimated that only in Ciudad del Este billions of dollars are laundered annually and half of the transactions come from smuggling or directly from drug trafficking

In any of these three cities it is especially easy to buy weapons of any caliber. Some establishments have a appearance legal, but in reality they are covers for illicit businesses. In recent years the Triple Border region has been linked to the financing of Islamic terrorism

The movement of people and merchandise in this area has two main routes: the Paraná River and the Friendship Bridge. It is estimated that some 70,000 people travel on both routes every day.

Photo: Fotolia - d100