More than 800 confused and frustrated Canadians who are stranded in Peru have formed a Facebook group to share information about how to get home after the country went into lockdown and closed its borders.
There is a new urgency for 800 Canadians in Peru desperately trying to make their way home amid the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic — the country’s minister of defence has announced that as of Sunday, Peru will no longer support any repatriation efforts by foreign governments.
All borders and airports were shut down on March 16, but the Peruvian government continued to co-ordinate with foreign governments like Uruguay, Brazil and Mexico to get their citizens home.
But now the Peruvian government says it must do more to contain the spread of the coronavirus — so foreigners have just a few hours to get out of the country.
The announcement is what Toronto resident Maria Andreeva — stranded in Lima, Peru — was dreading.
The 39-year-old was on a 10-day retreat in the jungle near Tarapoto in the northern part of the country.
But on March 16, the day she was supposed to head home to Toronto — and back to her two boys, ages four and six — the government announced it was shutting the border down effective at midnight.
Andreeva arrived at the airport to find chaos.
“That evening was stressful and scary,” she said. “A lot of people like me looked really shocked and scared and lost.”
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The country’s military lockdown closed borders and stationed police on street corners in major towns and cities. President Martin Vizcarra also declared a state of emergency, calling for 15 days of mandatory quarantine. The only exceptions are to obtain food or medicine.
The stranded Canadians have started a Facebook group to share information, tips and encouraging stories of other overseas Canadians who are finding their way home.
Greg Bestavros, 29, was one of the first to join, along with his fianceé Marina Fanous. They left Toronto for Lima on March 12 for a friend’s wedding.
“At the time, the Canadian government wasn’t indicating we shouldn’t go to Peru,” Bestavros told C