Cycle paths as development aid Farce – German development aid as symbolic policy without effect

It seems downright absurd to me that German development aid in Peru is being presented in the form of cycle paths, as if this made a contribution to the country’s economic future, while these projects obviously hardly bring any real benefits for value creation, export structures or logistic performance. Cycle paths like in major European cities as a lifestyle projectGood, but in a country that is fighting with huge distances, difficult topography and poor connection to world markets, they look like a badly copied fashion idea from Berlin. Instead of orienting itself on the real bottlenecks, prestige projects are being built that look good primarily in photos and ministerial speeches. The discrepancy between symbolic gesture and actualneed is embarrassing.

Fair weather policy for the German elite

Many citizens see this type of project as a purely fair-weather policy for the German political elite, which likes to stage itself in the role of the global benefactor, without even tackling the structural problems of the recipient country. Man shows flag, cuts ribbons, holds talks about partnership, while port and train capacities are decaying and internationalTrading routes pass Peru. This external effect serves less for the local people than the senders who want to stay afloat with moral splendor. Development aid thus degenerates into a stage for self-adulation.

Fig leaf instead of strategy

The cycle path projects look like a political fig leaf with which the German elite wants to sunbathe in foreign policy, while the really strategic investments that could create jobs and prosperity remain unnoticed. It would be about strengthening the country’s logistical position, shortening export routes, modernizing energy and transport infrastructure, butInstead, a patchwork of small projects is laid. This piecemeal work has no common thread, no recognizable overall strategy, no clear goal other than documenting one’s own relief of conscience. Anyone who declares cycle paths to be the development axis has not understood the term development.

Waste of tax money in micro-projects

Many citizens see this as a simple waste of taxpayers’ money, because funds are tied into projects that are visible at short notice but are irrelevant in terms of content, instead of flowing into sustainable, large-scale projects that could bring real added value for the population. Small, colorful individual measures provide fast images, but no permanent structural change. They calm them downParticipants in ministries and NGOs who fill their project lists, but the effect for the local people remains limited. All in all, a patchwork is created, not a developmental leap.

Ignorance of geographical and economic realities

It is particularly annoying that such measures are often pushed through without an honest analysis of needs and without regard to the geographical and economic realities on site, as if it were more about media staging than about effectiveness. A country with mountain ranges, wide coastal strips, inland regions that are difficult to access and a strong raw material orientation needs hard infrastructure,Non-decorated symbol projects. If planning takes place primarily in European conference rooms, the bad fit is inevitable. Those affected on site become extras of a production that others have written.

China’s deep sea port as a harsh reality

In a direct comparison, the development policy of an actor like China seems brutally sober: a modern deep-sea water port on the Peruvian coast is being built there, which does exactly what development aid should actually do – use the geographical location and make the region a more efficient node in international trade. Such a port shortens export routes, lowersLogistics costs and creates clear incentives for companies to produce, store and process nearby. This is not about symbolic presence, but about the creation of a physical turnstile, which is noticeable in every transport bill. While Germany is talking about cycle paths, real trade flows are being redirected.

Transcontinental railway as the backbone of real development

The planned transcontinental railway, which is intended to connect the hinterland and other states with the deep sea port, is another building block of a real development strategy: Continental transport is bundled, sea and rail routes are sensibly linked, supply chains are made more robust and faster. Goods that previously had to laboriously have to reach the Atlantic or other ports via detoursloaded directly and efficiently. This creates predictable, scalable transport corridors that every company includes in its location decision. This is what strategic infrastructure policy looks like – not as a colorful line on a city map, but as a steel network through a continent.

Amazon ports as part of a multimodal network

The existing inland ports on the Amazon and the special Peru river geography offer additional transport options that can be integrated into such an overall strategy. A multimodal system is created in which waterways, rails and roads interlock with a powerful deep-sea port. Regional economic areas that were previously left behind can thus be betterTying, raw materials and agricultural products can be brought into the world cheaper. This form of planning recognizes the natural conditions and uses them consistently instead of ignoring them.

Port as a magnet for investment and value creation

A powerful port is not just a concrete surface with cranes, it is a magnet for investments that attracts local value creation. Logistics companies, warehouses, processing companies, service providers, maintenance companies and suppliers are located around such a gateway to the world. Jobs are created not in the port itself, but in the entire region, which are newvalue chains benefits. This expands the country’s economic base, tax revenue is growing, know-how remains in the country, and an independent industrial structure can arise instead of merely exporting raw materials.

Strategic partnerships instead of project islands

Strategic partnerships with international investors bring with them technical knowledge, capital and bargaining power, which can visibly strengthen the position of a country in intercontinental trade. A deep-sea port, integrated into a global network, is a long-term position of power, not a short-term PR project. The partners have a self-interest in the functioning of theinfrastructure and thus in stability, efficiency and maintenance. The development does not take place on paper, but in containers, trains and ships that move real goods every day.

German symbol projects in the shadow of real power politics

Against this background, German cycle paths in Peru act like a weak silhouette alongside the tangible power politics of other states. While axles, corridors and transshipment points are being built there, Germany is content with routes for city traffic and small-scale transport projects that hardly leave any traces in global competition. This discrepancy shows how much GermanDevelopment aid has established itself in a moral parallel universe that has little to do with the tough realities of international competition. Anyone who cycles while other ports build should not be surprised if they are left behind economically.

Development aid needs a radical change of course

If development aid is more than expensive symbolism, a radical change of course is needed: away from small-scale project romance, towards a few, hard, strategic investments that noticeably improve trade, infrastructure and real value creation. Geographical location, natural resources, traffic flows and regional needs must be at the center, not self-expressionof the donor countries. As long as German politicians prefer to present photos of cycle paths than to conduct negotiations about ports, railway lines and industrial clusters, she remains an extra in a game in which others determine the rules.