coronavirus: Two Portuguese groups "abandoned" in Buenos Aires.
One group consists of couples Alentejo, which were a trip to Expoagro, Buenos Aires, organized by the Farmers Association of Baixo Alentejo.
About four dozen and a half of Portuguese are held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after the return flights to Portugal, planned for tomorrow, They have been canceled, face pandemia do coronavirus.
One group of 45 people, made up of farmers and their wives, They traveled to the Argentine capital, to visit the Expoagro, the most important agro-industrial exhibition in the open of that South American country, an organized trip by the Farmers Association of Baixo Alentejo (fATHER), based in Beja.
"Men of the land" left Portugal on 6 March, a Spanish company Iberia flight, to Madrid and then towards Buenos Aires. The return, by the same route, It was planned for tomorrow, but it was canceled.
The Portuguese contacted the Embassy of Portugal in the Argentine capital, to seek help in order to achieve a solution to the repatriation but the answer, second Francisco Palma, presidente da AABA, received by an employee "handed us two site photocopies Argentinas Aerolines with the contacts and the values ​​of taxes without tickets and that if they have to buy in person" justified.
The farmer proved to be annoyed with the treaty stating "it is ridiculous the usefulness of our diplomatic representations. Forbid people to abandon ", finished.
"Until today, paying exorbitant prices for new tickets, Fourteen members of the group have returned to Portugal. Not everyone can dispense with astronomical sums ", sustained Francisco Palma.
Although still can cycle through the streets of Buenos Aires, the group has been confined most of the time to "El Conquistador Hotel", looking together to find a way to leave Argentina.
The other fifteen Portuguese group, who were traveling in tourist trip, It is a nearby hotel, being in contact both aiming at a solution to their repatriation.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
