British woman, 20, stuck in Peru on her gap year feels ‘abandoned’ by the UK Government

A young British woman stuck in Peru has said she feels ‘abandoned’ by the UK Government.

Mereida Fajardo, 20, is on her gap year and has spent six months travelling the South American country with a friend.

She and Gemma Harris, 19, are among up to 400 British travellers stuck there after the Peruvian government declared a 15-day military lockdown and banned flights.

A young British woman stuck in Peru has said she feels ‘abandoned’ by the UK Government. Mereida Fajardo (right), 20, is on her gap year and has spent six months travelling the South American country with friend Gemma Harris (left)

The pair, both from London, went on a trek in the mountainous region of Huaraz last Friday, and found out about the lockdown on Monday when they managed to get phone signal. 

But by then, it was too late for them to get to the airport to catch the last planes out of the capital, Lima.

They are just two of up to a million Britons who are stranded overseas, some of whom face extortionate air fares if they want to get home. In Peru, British tourists are being charged up to £6,500 to be flown back.

This week the British Embassy advertised £3,000 economy seats on a charter flight home – rising to almost £6,500 for business class seats.

Miss Fajardo, who suffers from mild asthma, claims the British Embassy and Foreign Office have been ‘useless’ with providing assistance and she has been advised to ‘keep in touch’ with her airline.

But all commercial flights in and out of Lima have been cancelled, and internal travel between cities has been put on hold. 

She said: ‘I’m lucky because my friend’s father actually lives here in Lima so we’re staying with him. 

‘It’s given me a bit of stability rather than staying in a hostel. 

‘We went on a trek last week and there was zero notice given – we got back on Monday and as soon as we got a signal we were told that was the last day we could leave the country. 

‘We were not in a position to get to an airport and get to a flight.

‘It’s useless – the best way to get in touch with the British Embassy is through Twitter. It’s atrocious.’

Miss Fajardo, who holds dual British-German nationality, said the German government had been ‘very proactive’ and pledged millions of pounds to rescue stranded citizens from around the world. 

‘They’ve set up a website so we can register ourselves and they can stay on top of numbers,’ she added.

‘If I can get back to Germany on a flight I will, and then work out how to get to London. 

They are among up to 400 British travellers stuck there after the Peruvian government declared a 15-day military lockdown and banned flights

They are among up to 400 British travellers stuck there after the Peruvian government declared a 15-day military lockdown and banned flights

‘The state of healthcare here in Peru isn’t great. My parents just want me to get home. I haven’t seen them for half a year – I want to get home as well.’

There is a nationwide curfew in Peru between 8pm and 5am. 

Miss Fajardo said she was lucky to be staying near an indoor market but queues to get in are ’round the street’.

‘It does feel like we’ve been abandoned’, she said. ‘To see other countries acknowledging the problem and trying to find solutions – it feels like the Government doesn’t care.’ 

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has admitted there is ‘no obvious way out of the country’.

Tourists in Peru claimed Israel had sent free flights for its citizens, the Germans had offered a flight for £918 and the French one for £643. 

Dr Moby Rehman, a cardiac surgeon from London, is also stuck in Peru.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘There are vulnerable people trapped in Peru, including the elderly and the pregnant and people with chronic diseases like diabetes and asthma and heart disease, with limited supplies of medicine.’

He added that trapped tourists in the country faced a ‘crisis situation’. 

Meanwhile, British nationals on board a cruise ship have been told they must sail to coronavirus-stricken Italy after the Spanish and French authorities refused to let them disembark.

Costa Pacifica, operated by Italian firm Costa Cruises, departed Argentina on March 3 for a transatlantic cruise.

Some passengers were due to leave the ship in Barcelona but the port was closed due to coronavirus restrictions.

They had been told they could get off at the next port, Marseille, but only French nationals were allowed to disembark.

The ship, which can hold up to 3,780 passengers, is now making its way to Genoa, Italy. 

Families of those on board say the passengers are being ‘held prisoner’ and being kept ‘completely in the dark’.