The seven young Portuguese stranded in Peru have already obtained the ‘check-in’ for the return flight this Monday, but they still have no guarantee that it will take place, while they denounce a certain ineffectiveness of the Portuguese Government.
The seven young people had planned a return trip to Portugal this Wednesday, but ended up being held back by the political crisis in Peru, when they were forced to buy a new flight, which is scheduled for Monday, but is not yet available. confirmed.
In statements to Lusa, Francisco Rodrigo dos Santos, one of the youngsters stranded in Peru, explained that his group of four people already managed to ‘check-in’ for a flight on Monday, but he is still not sure if the trip will take place. cape. place., since the Peruvian transport authorities announced that the trips would take place on Saturday and Sunday, but said nothing about the following day.
Another group of young medical graduates who had made a trip to Peru is in Cusco and also hopes to return to Lisbon on Monday, on a flight with a stopover in Madrid, but equally without certainty of its completion.
The two groups of detained Portuguese have been regularly contacted by the Portuguese Embassy in Peru, but the young people say that the follow-up has not translated into any practical action that has helped them find a solution to the problem.
“They have been in direct contact with us for six or seven days, but until now there has never been a single concrete measure to resolve the problem. Not a single one,” Francisco Rodrigo dos Santos vented, complaining that on the part of the Portuguese Ministry of Affairs Foreign Affairs have only heard “politically correct words”.
Also Paula Casimiro, mother of Joana Dias, one of the young people who are in Cusco, confirmed to Lusa that the Portuguese Embassy in Peru has been monitoring the situation, but added that it has limited itself to knowing if the young people are safe.
“This is not the concerted action that they have been trying to convey in the media. Even so, they have shown interest in the situation of young people, ”Paula Casimiro acknowledged, showing relief that her daughter had already managed to buy the return flight. , after a journey from Machu Picchu to Cusco.
Contacted by Lusa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the information transmitted in recent days, reporting the close monitoring of the approximately 40 Portuguese who are stranded in Peru, including the two groups of young graduates.
“The MNE is aware of 40 Portuguese citizens, who are in the regions of Cusco, Arequipa and Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu), retained due to the closure of airports and road and rail traffic,” the Ministry said this Friday, assuring that “all the indicated citizens are safe” and in permanent contact with the authorities.
The hope of the two groups of young Portuguese is that the political situation in Peru will stabilize, so that the Armed Forces can guarantee activity at the airports, particularly at the Lima international airport, from where they have scheduled trips, via Madrid, back to Portugal.
Francisco Rodrigo dos Santos says his group has made a few trips from the hotel to the Arequipa airport, to make sure the roads are passable.
Source: TSF
