The getxoztarra Maialen Berekoetxea Robador is in Bogotá, has not been able to return to Euskal Herria and has gone to Gasteiz. The COVID-19 pandemic surprised him while traveling through Colombia, in the department of Nariño. On 18 March, he reported that the Government would impose the confinement within five days, although, following that notification, the authorities suspended all means of land and air transport. “It’s amazing that all communication routes are closed before lockdown. As a result, many Colombians have had to stay away from their homes and many tourists.” The getxoztarra recognized that he has been "lucky" because his partner lives in Bogotá and has had the opportunity to quarantine there, even though it became "almost impossible" to return from Nariño.

The Spanish Government has prepared two flights to repatriate citizens trapped in Colombia during these months: 27 March and 2 May. “With this last flight we have put an end to the return flight phase, helping the citizens who stay here and who need it from the consular point of view. At the moment, however, no more flights are planned,” said the Spanish ambassador to Colombia, Pablo Gómez de Olea, to the EFE agency.

As Berekoetxea explained, the Colombian authorities had initially reported that commercial flights would remain blocked until 31 April. Thus, on 20 March the getxoztarra announced through a note released by Air Europa via the Internet that it could change for free by May the flight planned to return to the Basque Country on 18 April, the date on which the company contacted on 4 April. In this context, he did not pay much attention to this first flight of repatriation organized by the Spanish Government, as he hoped that he would be able to return for himself. "The truth is that in those days I did not even know that a flight of this kind had been organized by the Spanish Government." By 13 April, however, all forecasts sank. “Just three days before the date of the flight (18 April), but on 13 April Air Europa announced that the Government of Colombia would extend the blockade for another month and, if the ticket was changed, recommended that I purchase it for June.” This option would not be free and everyone would have to buy their ticket; in any case, the getxoztarra did not trust it: “Many people bought flights by May, but they have also been cancelled and many have not been given back the money,” Berekoetxea said.

In the face of this changing situation, the getxoztarra went directly to the Spanish Embassy in search of further information on the situation. Thus, it was included in a repatriation list, even though the flight of 2 May was still not safe. “I signed up and waited.” A week later, the list members learned about this journey. “They said on a website that Iberia would contact us and that for the trip we would have to pay 400 dollars.” Thus, the getxotarra waited for this call, but, as he regretted, no one contacted him: “I had to call, but that way I didn’t get an answer. A week later they hung a message on their web saying that all the seats were filled.” However, as he learned later, many of those who received the "yes" to the repatriation could not take the flight because they were in a city other than Bogota and could not reach the capital. “I do not know what the criteria for people’s acceptance was, but it has been reported that 36 people from outside the Spanish State were travelling on the plane.”

Immobile on land

Following the announcement by the Spanish ambassador that there will be no more return flights, more than 300 people who want to return to the Spanish State have remained in an unstable situation. “As I do, there are many people trapped in Colombia; the Consulate does not give us any information and the Government of Colombia says that flights may be blocked until July.” This situation has caused them discomfort because they do not have a fixed date to return home.

Last Monday, Day 4, Berekotxea approached the Embassy and Consulate of the Spanish State in Bogotá, “but none of them let me in”. In the latter, outside, he met a dozen people who protested: “They are collecting signatures to denounce the situation and ask for more planes.”

Five to nothing

Those affected in Colombia regret that until the pandemic occurred, there were five daily displacements between Spain and Colombia, which were closely followed. “We don’t understand why two flights have been organised in this situation, even more so when people are waiting for them to return.” Moreover, they have stressed that for these flights passengers have to pay and that they would be complied with, “so we have to be profitable”.