Location: Peru (country-wide)
As of March 24, approximately 700 Americans have departed Peru on repatriation flights.
Our embassy team in Lima is working around the clock with the Government of Peru and the U.S. private sector to repatriate U.S. citizens currently in Peru.
For medical reasons, Ambassador Krishna Urs departed Peru on March 20. He continues to engage from Washington with senior Peruvian officials as well as to support the Department’s efforts on behalf of the United States.
Both the Embassy staff currently in Peru and those who are now working from the United States continue their tireless efforts to assist U.S. citizens.
Here are the latest updates:
- Two repatriation flights were scheduled for March 24, one flight from Lima operated by American and a flight from Cusco via Lima operated by LATAM.
- On March 23 at 7:30 p.m., the Government of Peru told Ambassador Urs it had authorized the American Airlines flight between Lima and Miami.
- At approximately 9:30 p.m., LATAM Airlines notified the Embassy that the Peruvian National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI) had not approved its Cusco-Lima flight.
- The Embassy then contacted the Peruvian Government to verify this information.
- At 1:00 a.m. on March 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that no U.S. flights had been approved by National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI).
- Ambassador Urs spoke to the Peruvian Foreign Minister at 6:45 a.m., during which time, he was assured that the permissions would be granted in time.
- Ultimately, the Peruvian government declined to provide the proper clearances for a LATAM flight to pick up Americans stranded in Cusco. At approximately, 7:30 a.m., LATAM notified the Embassy that it had asked its pilot and crew not to staff the flight from Cusco.
- At 7:32 a.m, a charter flight operated by American Airlines departed Miami with a scheduled arrival at 12:30 p.m. The Peruvian government also declined to approve permits for the charter flight, so the pilot returned the airplane to Miami.
- Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Julie Chung will travel to Peru to support our aggressive repatriation efforts.
We continue advocating vigorously for the return of our citizens and working with the Peruvian Government so that they can clear all bureaucratic hurdles that prevent U.S. citizens from returning home. The U.S. Embassy and U.S. Department of State will not rest until we’ve worked through these issues with Peru to get our people back to the United States.
For assistance:
U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru
Avenida La Encalada cdra. 17 s/n
Surco, Lima 33
+51-1-618-2000
LimaACS@state.gov
https://pe.usembassy.gov
State Department – Consular Affairs
+1-888-407-4747 or +1-202-501-4444
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