- Title: Hundreds of tourists stranded in Peru still struggling to get home
- Date: 23rd March 2020
- Summary: LIMA, PERU (MARCH 23, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STRANDED FOREIGN TOURISTS - INCLUDING MANY AMERICANS AND ARGENTINES - WAITING FOR INFORMATION ON RETURN VARIOUS OF TOURISTS WALKING EN MASSE TOWARD PERUVIAN AIR BASE, HOPING FOR REPATRIATION TOURISTS OUTSIDE AIR BASE WITH SIGN READING "FAP BASE OF CALLAO" (SOUNDBITE) (English) AMERICAN TOURIST, CHRIS HAYNES, SAYING: "I came here about four months ago. My son is in Los Olivos. Right over here, about 10 minutes from the airport. Came to visit my family and uh, my plane got cut short the other day so I'm trying to get on this plane right now, see how it goes. I don't know if there's room for everybody on this trip. but we'll see." AMERICAN TOURIST, CHRIS HAYNES SITTING AIRLINE OFFICIAL TRYING TO ORGANIZE ARGENTINE TOURISTS ARGENTINES WAITING IN LINE TO ENTER AIR BASE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) STRANDED TOURIST, MAXIMILIANO BIONDY, SAYING: "They left us adrift, without water, without food. We were all afternoon yesterday in the sun, today too. There are no toilets, we are all here. We are talking about a Coronavirus issue and we are all here dressed up and we were there all day, it is an incredible thing." GENERAL VIEW OF STRANDED ARGENTINE TOURISTS SHARING BREAKFAST STRANDED ARGENTINE TOURIST, LORENA MAYORDOMO, RECEIVING COFFEE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) STRANDED TOURIST, LORENA MAYORDOMO, SAYING: "On top of this happening, our leaders - we do not have any answer from them. In Peru, we don't have any criticism. The people bring us things. When we were in the sun yesterday, they brought us water, cookies, facemasks. But from the Argentines, nothing." VARIOUS OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY ORGANIZING BUSES AND HELPING STRANDED AMERICAN TOURISTS GET ON
- Embargoed: 6th April 2020 17:52
- Keywords: Americans Argentines COVID-19 border closures
- Location: LIMA, PERU
- City: LIMA, PERU
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C69XY6F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of foreign tourists waited on Monday (March 23) outside a Lima military bases, hoping for news of a flight home after Peru closed its borders to control the coronavirus outbreak.
Many of the travelers were from the United States and Argentina.
Chris Haynes was hoping for the best.
"I came here about four months ago. My son is in Los Olivos. Right over here, about 10 minutes from the airport. Came to visit my family and uh, my plane got cut short the other day so I'm trying to get on this plane right now, see how it goes. I don't know if there's room for everybody on this trip. but we'll see," he said.
Others sounded frustrated. Maximiliano Biondy said they had been waiting in the hot sun without food and water. Argentine, Lorena Mayordomo, said she'd heard nothing from her government, but was grateful to Peruvians for helping with food and water.
Last week, Peru´s President Martin Vizcarra on Wednesday announced an immediate restriction on overnight movement across the country in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus. The order came just days after he closed all the borders.
Peru is currently reporting 363 cases with five deaths.
(Production: Carlos Valdez) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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