The 215 Spanish Embassies and Consulates abroad have maintained close dialogue and intense coordination with other diplomatic representations to favor this type of joint operations with their nationals, which have also been favored by the telephone contact of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya, who in recent days has held various conversations with about twenty counterparts.
Within Europe, the most recent operations occurred in Poland, where the Embassy has collaborated in the repatriation of 168 Spaniards and Poles residing in Spain in the last week, through LOT charter flights. While in Ukraine, a plane chartered by the Ukrainian government to collect nationals of this country in Spain.
Iberoamerica
Although in Latin America the most far-reaching operations with other countries have occurred in recent days, such as the flight chartered by Spain to Central America with about thirty Guatemalans on board and which returned with 305 Spaniards along with 52 passengers of different European nationalities ; the flight organized by the Spanish Embassy in Venezuela with 364 passengers on board 22 European nationalities; or that of the Colombian Embassy with 227 Spaniards and another 38 Europeans; Relevant operations continue in the area.
One of the last occurred yesterday after the Spanish Embassy in Haiti assisted seven Spaniards who flew from Port-au-Prince to Paris, on a flight chartered by France. An Iberia plane to Montevideo also left yesterday with more than 100 Uruguayans on board. Today he returned to Madrid with more than 200 Spaniards, among them the 37 scientists from Hesperides.
Also yesterday a flight to Quito (Ecuador) with 58 Ecuadorian minors left Madrid that returned today doing the Quito-Guayaquil-Madrid route. Another flight will do the same route on Monday. Today a new flight has also arrived from Panama with 200 people and on Monday another with 300 Spanish tourists or Spanish residents who were in Panama.
Africa and the Middle East
The Spanish Embassies and Consulates in Africa and the Middle East have also redoubled efforts to facilitate this type of joint operations, such as, for example, the Spanish Embassy in Saudi Arabia. From Riyadh 27 people left yesterday for Spain: 21 Spanish citizens and 4 Portuguese and 2 Belgians residing in Portugal.
From the United Arab Emirates, despite the fact that air connections are closed, four people left yesterday on a Croatian flight to Spain (three Spaniards and an Italian resident in Spain). However, the Spanish Embassy is advancing in its efforts with other European Union countries to favor the departure of a group of 20 Spanish tourists or residents who still remain in the country through this same formula.
4,500 professionals in Embassies and Consulates
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation continues to work intensively to assist all Spaniards who are still trying to return to Spain with an unprecedented deployment. A total of 4,500 professionals distributed by the Embassies and Consulates of Spain attend 24 hours a day via telephone, email and social networks. As the crisis unit telephone number is also open 24 hours a day, +34 913 948 900, which is answered by 140 Ministry officials.
