Que Boludo!

Que Boludo!

I was denied entry in Buenos Aires, sent back to Colombia for an immigration official's lack of knowledge in interpreting my visa.

April 3, 2010, Buenos Aires, Argentina, this day will never be forgotten. I was a victim of someone’s ignorance, of someone’s greatest exercise and display of arrogance. He is a moron.

Arriving from Bogota, Colombia via flight LA 4641. I was refused entry by an immigration chief in Buenos Aires for his erroneous interpretation of my visa, which he declared expired. The truth of the matter is, it is not. The Argentine Consulate in Manila later confirmed this to me through an e-mail.

I was holding a multiple-entry business visa for 15 days with three-month validity issued in Manila on February 3, 2010 by the Argentine Embassy. I entered Buenos Aires using this visa on February 16, 2010 spending ten good days of business and leisure leaving me 5 more allowable days on my next entry within three months. Hence, my supposed three day-visit this April.

I am collecting the frame of a leather chair I bought in my first visit from The Sweater, Inc. in Buenos Aires, a company that sells fine leather goods mostly from cow.

Apparently, when the first immigration officer examined my documents, he didn’t know how to interpret the type of visa I was holding. He referred my case to his superior who declared it expired. He explained that it has expired after 15 days from my first entry. (Mute button on…) Duh! Then what’s the three-month validity clause for? Please explain Mr. Officer!

The not so dumb junior officer seemed unconvinced of his superior’s interpretation, approached the lady officer in the next cubicle and referred my case with her. They discussed and were later interrupted by the smart officer who called him to come to his office. I took the opportunity to approach the lady who was in a rush to take her break and asked her if something was wrong with my visa because I was the last man standing from flight LA 4641. She quickly said, in my opinion there is NONE. Then the rest of the officers were greeting each other Feliz Pascua and exchanged besos and rushed home. I realized then it was already Easter Sunday.

I politely told the immigration officer that he might have just been mistaken. I told him I had been issued same type of visas from several Schengen States and the immigration officials didn’t interpret it that way. Further, I explained to him that I had been issued Argentine visas for the last five years, give or take. If I may recall, I clarified this matter with their consulate in Manila two years ago but he is the type of officer who doesn’t listen to reasons. With such a commanding voice he said, “You were badly informed by our Embassy in Manila!”

(Mute push button on por favor!) Really sir? Then you are the smart guy and the people from your Manila office are the stupid ones? Vale?

He ordered for my immediate return to my port of origin via LAN, which is Bogota, which left Buenos Aires in the next hour.

I appealed that he would give me a chance to call the Embassy of the Philippines in Buenos Aires for a possible assistance regarding my case but he said, “NO! What we do in Argentina is independent from what the Philippine Embassy does.”

“What’s the point of allowing Embassies and Consulates in Argentina Sir? I don’t understand. You are so contagious!” (Mute button on again!)

I was immediately escorted to the plane. They sequestered my old and new passports and made me take the LA 2428 flight to Lima. Then at Lima Airport, I also had an escort and I was not allowed to get hold of my passports up to Medellin, Colombia, my next destination entering Colombia as a tourist this time. (Mute button please...) “Please explain to me, why am I being treated like a criminal. I am not going anywhere! I'm taking the flight to Colombia. Give me back my passports. I am holding a 10-year multiple visa to the United States, most of the stamps there are B2 with 6 months allowable stay. I will not over stay in your country! Besides you already refused me entry. Give them back to me baby, now, Ahora mismo! Pronto tonto!”

A LAN crew handed over my passports to the immigration officials in Colombia. The Colombian officer asked me to explain why I was denied entry in Buenos Aires and what’s with the visa problem Buenos Aires had declared in my papers. I explained and showed him my visa and he smiled and said after inspecting it that to his understanding it is valid. He then welcomed me and granted me entry to Colombia. (Mute button for the real smart guy….) “Thank you sir, you are the one! A person like you should be the one’s to be commissioned in all immigration offices in the whole civilized and modern world! Viva Colombia!”

In Lima, airport and LAN officers opined that there is nothing wrong with my visa, it is valid and it has not yet expired and that Buenos Aires should have granted me three-day stay.

(Intermission please) _-A perfect 10 - a los peruanos y colombianos, y el otro 10 para el senor en Buenos Aires por ser ganador de Moron Olympics y no nos olvidemos un plaque para el senor Filipino por ser un victima! Vale? Muchas Gracias! A sus orden senor, con mucho gusto!!!

I believe I was not accorded with my proper rights as a stranger in Argentina. Understand that when Argentines come and visit the Philippines, they can stay in the country for 20 days without visa. I didn’t see any show of reciprocity in its smallest form or some kind of consideration just for three days in Buenos Aires from this immigration officer.

He made a costly mistake. I paid dearly for someone's incapacity to deliver his job . Que Boludo!