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AP makes rare photos of Amazonian “bridge to nowhere” and its communities 

Peru Amazon Bridge to Nowhere Image ID : 24170754098734 A highway bridge that is part of a federal highway project, extends across the Nanay River, background, as a resident walks along a boarded path in the Punchana district of Iquitos, Peru, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Construction work is at a standstill as the government conducts a study of the area, but the Ministry of Transportation has already built what is the country's largest bridge, which extends 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) over the Nanay, a tributary of the Amazon River. (AP PHOTO / RODRIGO ABD

Peru Amazon Bridge to Nowhere

It’s no surprise that the longest bridge ever built in Peru had rarely been photographed before. Reaching the structure, which connects untouched areas of the Amazon, presents a unique logistical challenge. Photographer Rodrigo Abd reached it only after a four-day boat journey.  

While in Iquitos, one of the world’s largest cities that can be reached only by air or river, Abd captured images that showed not only the grandeur of the bridge and its surroundings but also the intimacy of people nearby going about their daily lives. The area is home to numerous indigenous groups who worry about the potential for land grabbing, deforestation and drug trafficking that plagues similar projects in the rainforest.  

Through both text and photos, Abd told these compelling stories, highlighting both the beauty of the region and the complexities of the issues faced by its inhabitants, including poverty, limited access to healthcare and education and ongoing struggles for indigenous rights. 

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