Currently some 71 IIRSA projects, including a number of trans-border projects, are slated for implementation in Brazil. Together these projects require an estimated investment of $20.2 billion, which is greater than that required for any other country. The projects fall within 6 integration hubs (Amazonian, Capricorn, Central Interoceanic, Guianese Shield, MERCOSUR-Chile, Peru-Brazil-Bolivia, and Southern), with the largest number (23) falling in the MERCOSUR hub. The majority of projects correspond to the transportation, ICT, and energy sectors.
It should be no surprise that there is considerable enthusiasm for IIRSA in Brazil. The country accounts for the second largest total of projects in the overall portfolio and is recognized throughout South America (and beyond) as a leader in the aggressive construction of roads, ports, dams, and other large-scale works of the type that are rife in the Initiative. IIRSA, in fact, first took shape in response to overtures from the Brazilian Government, and since he was elected in 2002, President Lula has made repeated statements on the need for South American states to coordinate better on development strategies, investment policies, trade regimes, and infrastructure construction.