government is fully aware of the impossibility of aligning the road and harbor construction objectives in the Amazon with sustainability goals. An internal memo on the Corridor lists the risks in bullet points: – Disruption of society due to a large influx of outsiders

– Negative consequences for indigenous populations due to loss of land and income

– Corruption and intransparency

– Illegal logging and deforestation

– Environmental pollution. This may lead to a devastation of the current fish stocks

– Violent conflicts with large land owners due to lack of dialogue

– Dangers for environmental activists and journalists (even murder in the most extreme

cases)

– Violation of labor laws But for the Dutch ministry, these problems seem not to be a reason to stop its involvement, or revise its plans. On the contrary: “thea reaction to these revelations, the Dutch minister for foreign trade and development cooperation Sigrid Kaag stressed again that the Netherlands contribute to the sustainable development of the Corridor. The Dutch Labor Party has requested a debate in parliament about Dutch involvement in the Northern Corridor. At that time, the city council of Amsterdam will have to answer questions on the role of the harbor of Amsterdam in the initiative. For now, the government continues its efforts in Brazil. Roderick Wols, the Dutch deputy head of mission in Brasília, was in Belém in April to meet with the Industrial Federation of the State of Pará (FIEPA). Wols was there to explore possibilities for cooperation in TRANS2018, Para’s largest conference on logistics which will take place in June.