moments of uncertainty y despair They are those who have lived 11 dominicans who traveled to Israel from NY to visit the Holy Land and Türkiye. Unfortunately, this group of pilgrims He arrived in the country last Saturday, the same day the bombings began. Now, they are eagerly looking for different options to return home.
Nancy Cotén, one of the Dominicans who are in Israelspoke with Free Diaryand narrated that within the group There are four that only have residence American, which has complicated the help, since it indicates that they have been trying to communicate with the Dominican consulate in Israelwithout receiving a response, although they indicate that they have not received a response from the US embassy in said country either.
Although the seven dominicans who are American citizens have obtained options to return to NYhave chosen to stay in Israel, to accompany the other four who are still waiting for help. The dominicans con residence Stranded in the eastern country are between 80 and 65 years old.
Cotén indicated that through the office of the congressman Adriano Espaillat have found help to manage their departure from Israeland reported that they have looked for different options, one of them, requesting always a Greece for the dominicans con residence and they have also searched flights available to countries where you can travel without visa.
“He is the one who is helping us. We have been searching flights everywhere. We are looking for a flight to Ethiopia and we bought it. And after an hour we called it off. Afterwards it was for Greece. They requested the visa Of the four dominicans who are with residence American, but they have not yet received it and we are waiting. Meanwhile we are here, we have almost 11 hours here in the airport“said Nancy Cotén, whose 65-year-old mother is also inside the group.
“Everything seemed calm”
Nancy and a group of 15 pilgrims they came to Israel on Saturday, October 7, with the purpose of visiting the historical places of the Bible, without having knowledge of what was happening. The Dominican told Free Diary how the days have passed in the city and the urgency they had to leave the hotel and head towards the airport to leave the country.
I have a condition and that is that I am with my mother who is a hypertensive, diabetic person who has a heart symbiosis, and that is why I am worried. I don’t. I can go wherever I want, but I have to be with her and I want to leave now. And if I’m tired, imagine herNancy CoténDominican stranded in Israel
“Today precisely our flight We were supposed to leave here at eight twenty in the morning. evening for Türkiye, but for us they canceled he flight on Tuesday at eveninglike that out of nowhere, because they said they weren’t dating flights”, he indicated.
Inside of the group out of 15 there are two Puerto Ricans, two Colombians and 11 dominicans.
“From the Saturday we arrived we were fine until we found out what was happening, because here everything looks as if it were calm. We were doing all the tours. “They told us that everything was fine, that there was no problem, but suddenly there was a panic and they advised us not to leave the hotel, to stay and that’s what we did,” the Dominican told Diario Libre.
He assured that they stayed at the hotel until they received new information.
“We couldn’t do anything and we had no choice but to come today for the airport and let it be what God wants and here we are, since 6 in the morning. We have almost 11 hours as I told you. We haven’t been able to go out. Two from one side and two from the other have left, but we are left with 13 people,” said Coten.
The Dominican has described her journey as exhausting and stressful because within the airport have had to run from one airline to another, plus the majority are older adults with comorbidities and health conditions.
“I have a condition and that is that I am with my mother who is a hypertensive, diabetic person who has a heart symbiosis, and that is why I am worried. I don’t. I can go wherever I want, but I have to be with her and I want to leave now. And if I am tired, imagine her,” she concluded.
He group congregates in the iglesia Narrow Gate that is in Upper Manhattan, of the pastor Pedro Olivieri.
They will remain a evening more in the airport
He congressman from District NY-13 Adriano Espaillat, who is coordinating the departure of the dominicans which are found in Israelsaid to Free Diarythat they paid a large sum of money to be able to leave through the Jordanian border.
He indicated that together with the Dominican Government they are looking for different options to obtain flights to Dubai for dominicansin case the visatwo to Greece.
“We are waiting for a visa a Greece and we are looking for other alternatives. There are also two who are with the mother who are not American, and they want to stay with them. “We have been working non-stop for forty-eight hours, non-stop,” he said. congressman.
“He airport It has a safe area. We are also already in contact with the staff, and we are working with the presidence of the Dominican Republic for citizens dominicans, and with the White House. Actually, we have a State commission. We have spoken with all the agencies, with the entire Federal Department, also with the State Department,” said Espaillat.
He stressed that meanwhile, the dominicans they will have to pass a evening more in the airport.
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2023-10-12 19:33:00
#Dominicans #Israel #seek #return
