Hundreds of Latin Americans are evacuated from Ukraine

Several hundred citizens of Latin American countries have been evacuated from Ukraine since the armed conflict with Russia began, others await assistance and some have moved away from the war scene on their own, their governments reported.

Some of the more than a thousand Latin Americans who lived in Ukraine at the outbreak of the war were evacuated by their governments by land and air, with the joint management of their chancelleries and embassies in Kiev and in several neighboring capitals.

Some Latin American countries, such as Chile and Uruguay, lack physical diplomatic representation in Ukraine, so they had to resort to the efforts of their embassies in neighboring nations, such as Poland and Romania.

Others, such as Argentina, Brazil and Peru, arranged special operations with official vehicles and military planes to transport their citizens and even nationals from other Latin American countries that were able to join.

Brazil

There were about 500 Brazilians in Ukraine, according to the government. About 80 have already left the country through Poland and Romania, with the help of embassy transport, and another hundred remain on Ukrainian soil. On Sunday, 39 people – 37 Brazilians and two Uruguayans – arrived at the Brazilian embassy in Bucharest, including two soccer players and their families.

The government continues to try to locate Brazilians in Ukraine, with the support of the embassy in Warsaw, and has set up an outpost on the border with Moldova. The Brazilian Air Force offered two planes for evacuations.

Argentina

A total of 83 Argentines live in Ukraine and another 20 were temporarily in that country at the beginning of the Russian invasion, said the Foreign Ministry, which evacuated five couples who had come to Kiev to pick up their newborn surrogate children.

The Argentine embassy in Kiev is one of the four Latin American diplomatic offices in Ukraine and works with countries in the region on a joint plan for the evacuation and assistance of citizens.

Chile

A total of 49 Chileans and their families have residence in Ukraine, registered at the Chilean consulate in Poland because the country does not have an embassy in Kiev.

The interim chancellor, Carolina Valdivia, offered an evacuation “through ground transportation” crossing the border with Poland.

Until Saturday, five Chileans had used that route and arrived safely in Polish territory, where they were assisted, reported President Sebastián Piñera. Another nine Chileans were near the border, in contact with the government.

Colombia

There are 253 Colombians in Ukraine and as of Sunday 76 had left the country. Bogotá, through its embassy in Poland, organized the transfer of the displaced to shelters that, according to the Colombian government itself, it had been preparing for at least a month.

Peru

Some 320 Peruvians reside in Ukraine and at least 196 will be evacuated “at any time towards the border with Poland”, where a plane from the Peruvian Air Force is waiting, which left Lima as soon as the invasion was completed, the government reported.

Peruvians and their children born on Ukrainian soil without passports received a safe-conduct, Lima said.

Uruguay

The nine Uruguayans registered in Ukraine have already left the country through Poland and Moldova (seven crossed the border on Sunday and the remaining two on Monday), although the government does not rule out that there are more.

Some already travel to other European destinations, others remain in Krakow (Poland) assisted by the embassy in Finland and the rest in Bucharest (Romania), also assisted by their embassy in that country.

The government clarified that “It’s not discarded” that more Uruguayans who need assistance may appear.

Guatemala

The Foreign Ministry reported 10 Guatemalans in Ukraine and only one requested to be evacuated. The embassy in Germany opened a special registry to assist all of them.