SPAIN: Mexican hunger striker who desperately wants to attend British royal wedding makes last-minute efforts to travel to the event after being refused entrance to the United Kingdom last week by immigration authorities

Record ID: 1543258

  • Title: SPAIN: Mexican hunger striker who desperately wants to attend British royal wedding makes last-minute efforts to travel to the event after being refused entrance to the United Kingdom last week by immigration authorities
  • Date: 28th April 2011
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (APRIL 27, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEXICAN STUDENT ESTIBALIS CHAVEZ WALKING ON MADRID STREET AND CARRYING PAINTING OF PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON CHAVEZ'S FACE CHAVEZ'S BAG PAINTING CHAVEZ SITTING AT A MONUMENT IN FRONT OF MADRID'S CONGRESS BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ROYAL WEDDING HUNGER STRIKER, ESTIVALIS CHAVEZ, SAYING: "They had already allowed me in but, as they noticed that I was carrying the painting, started to interrogate me more deeply and realised that I was not carrying enough money and neither I had a friend in London. Therefore they turned me back." CHAVEZ SITTING AT A MONUMENT WITH PAINTING PAINTING OF PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON CLOSE OF PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ROYAL WEDDING HUNGER STRIKER, ESTIVALIS CHAVEZ, SAYING: "I have spent nights in the airport. I haven't had anything to eat some days, I have struggled to survive and now I will try to make it back to England. All this effort is worth if I make it into London." VARIOUS OF CHAVEZ SITTING AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ROYAL WEDDING HUNGER STRIKER, ESTIVALIS CHAVEZ, SAYING: "I will try again. Now, I have to go buy the ticket, I have to print out a letter that was sent to me by a girl who is going to help me by allowing me to live with her during the time I spend in London. With all these, I suppose I can show proof of my capacity to be in London and I hope they allow me in because they can simply deny my entrance in London despite of the fact that I am fulfilling all requisites." CHAVEZ HOLDING PAINTING CHAVEZ CLOSING HER BAG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ROYAL WEDDING HUNGER STRIKER, ESTIVALIS CHAVEZ, SAYING: "I hope they don't consider me a danger. I simply want to attend that wedding and I don't intend to bother anybody. They can make me very happy simply by giving me access to London." CLOSE OF CHAVEZ'S FACE PAINTING/ CHAVEZ ON THE PHONE ESTIBALIS WALKING IN FRONT OF SPANISH CONGRESS BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2011 20:54
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain, Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8DIBMOC1AQLJ0K3LL4LQHP4QT
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: A girl who staged a 16-day hunger strike in Mexico to get an invitation to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding was stuck in Madrid on Wednesday (April 27) after being denied entry by British immigration authorities.
    Estibalis Chavez who was denied an invite to the event by the British embassy in Mexico, but obtained money for a plane ticket to London from a Mexican lobbyist, was denied access to the UK last Saturday (April 23) on the basis of lack of funds to support herself during her stay in London.
    "They had already allowed me in but, as they noticed that I was carrying the painting, started to interrogate me more deeply and realised that I was not carrying enough money and neither I had a friend in London. Therefore they turned me back," Chavez told Reuters in an interview.
    The painting -- made by Chavez during her hunger strike in Mexico -- portrays Prince William and Kate Middleton. Estibalis wanted to be able to give it to the royal couple as a wedding present.
    But she said she will leave the painting in Madrid because she thinks it alarmed immigration authorities last week and set off the questioning that led to her being rejected.
    As airport immigration officials told her she could not enter the United Kingdom, Chavez, a 19-year-old high school student, decided to travel to Madrid where she is making last-minute efforts to obtain the necessary money to give her adventure one last try.
    She is staying at an inexpensive youth hostel in Madrid.
    "I have spent nights in the airport. I haven't had anything to eat some days, I have struggled to survive and now I will try to make it back to England. All this effort is worth if I make it into London," she said.
    "I will try again. Now, I have to go buy the ticket, I have to print out a letter that was sent to me by a girl who is going to help me by allowing me to live with her during the time I spend in London. With all these, I suppose I can show proof of my capacity to be in London and I hope they allow me in because they can simply deny my entrance in London despite of the fact that I am fulfilling all requisites," she said.
    According to Chavez, an unknown benefactor contacted her through Facebook and sent her 800 U.S. dollars so she can show enough funds this time to the British authorities.
    Asked why she wanted to attend the royal wedding, Chavez explained that her mother, who died as she gave birth to her, was a huge fan of Princess Diana.
    For many years Chavez has cultivated her admiration for the British royals to the point of promising herself not to miss Princess Diana's son's wedding.
    Chavez says she still has a chance to get to the church, or at least to stand outside the church, on time.
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