COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR EXIM BANK OFFICIALS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LIMA 001191

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BEXP EFIN OTRA CI PE EXIM
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR EXIM BANK OFFICIALS
XIOMARA CREQUE BROMBERG AND PAUL TUMMINIA

REF: STATE 037227

1.(U) The Embassy grants country clearance for the visit to
Peru of Xiomara Creque Bromberg, Senior Business
Development Officer and Paul J. Tumminia, Director of Latin
America, Exim Bank, from March 12-16, 2005. The purpose of
their visit is to maximize outreach and to promote Ex-Im
Bank programs. Hotel reservations have been made at the
Lima Marriott Hotel, telephone number (511) 217-7000, Fax
(511) 217-7100. Rate is $119.00 + 10 percent tax.
Airport/hotel transfer is $25.

When departing Lima by air, the Republic of Peru imposes an
airport departure tax on any outbound passenger of 28.24
Dollars for international flights and 5.04 Dollars for
domestic flights.


2. (U) POINT OF CONTACT, TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND ADDRESS:
Point of contact will be Margaret Hanson-Muse, office
telephone number (51)(1)434-3040 or (51)(1)618-2442, home
telephone (51)(1)372-3140, cellular phone number
(51)(1)9788-9401, Embassy after hours direct line for
Marine Security Guard is (51)(1)618-2936. The Embassy
address is Av. La Encalada, cuadra 17, in the Monterrico
Sur section of Lima. Control officer should be notified as
soon as possible upon arrival in country if you are not met
at the airport.

State Department TDY visitors requiring OpenNet-Plus Systems
access during their stay should directly contact George K.
Philpott, ISO, in advance of their arrival so a computer
account can be created if needed.

Any employee who intends to bring U.S. Government portable
microcomputers (laptops) for use in CAA or non-CAA areas
must notify post's ISSO and RSO in advance of travel. 12
FAH-6 h-314 prohibits the installation or use of any
privately owned computer in a government building where
classified information is processed or stored. Accordingly,
post policy prohibits Personal Electronic Devices (PED),
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) e.g. "Palm Pilots", MP-3
players, etc. within the Chancery facility. Such devices
are never authorized in CAA spaces and are not authorized
connectivity within OpenNet unclassified or classified
networks, or stand-alone classified PCs. Personnel who wish
to bring PDAs authorized under the Department of State's
Secure Wireless Extended Enterprise Technology (SWEET)
program into the Chancery must notify Post's ISSO and RSO in
advance of travel. Find information concerning the SWEET
program at http://sweet.irm.state.gov. Please refer to 03
STATE 286036 for detailed guidance regarding Post's
Information Systems security requirements.


3. (U) PASSPORT/VISAS:

To ensure full protection for travelers, the mission
requires that all visitors eligible for official/diplomatic
passports use them with appropriate visa. Travelers should
not use tourist passports. In exceptional cases where
official travelers must use tourist passports/visas,
specific authorization must be obtained in advance. Foreign
citizens bearing tourist passports who come to Peru to work,
either officially or in technical or cultural cooperation,
must enter the country with an official work visa.

DOD personnel on personal travel must use a tourist
passport. If official visitors arrive via military ship, a
passport is not required unless the individual is required
to exit Peru via commercial or military air. If an official
visitor is a Peruvian National serving in the U.S. Armed
Forces, a valid Peruvian (maroon) passport is absolutely
necessary in all cases in order for the individual to enter
or exit Peru. Proof of residency in the U.S. (green card)
is required for return to the U.S. All visas for onward
travel should be obtained prior to arrival in Peru.


4. (SBU) SECURITY:

Post reminds all TDY personnel requesting country clearance
for temporary duty of 30 days or more of the requirement to
complete mandatory personal security training effective
January 1, 2005. Personnel requesting country clearance for
periods of 30 days or more must certify that they have or
will complete the required training prior to their travel,
or may request a waiver as per the above policy. For
extended TDY requests, individual bureaus (not the Bureau of
Human Resources) are responsible for ensuring that their
staff, in all employment categories (Civil Service, Foreign
Service, WAE, PSC, etc.),meets the training requirement.
See 04 State 66580 for more information about the mandatory
personal security training requirement.

Country clearance is granted for travel to non-Embassy
restricted areas only. Visitors who plan to travel to
Embassy restricted areas must request Post approval upon
arrival. A list of these areas can be obtained from the
RSO. It is imperative that the Mission be notified
immediately of delays or changes in plans or itinerary.
Personnel must not change hotels without first notifying
control officer. The State Department has designated Peru
as high threat for indigenous terrorism, medium threat for
transnational terrorism and political violence, and critical
threat for crime. Two terrorist groups operate in Peru:
Sendero Luminoso (SL) and Movimiento Revolucionario Tupac
Amaru (MRTA). Both organizations continue to be potential
threats and have targeted U.S. facilities in the past. Due
to GOP efforts, the activities of the SL and MRTA have been
greatly reduced and are now largely confined to rural areas.
Overland travel outside of Lima and other large cities
during the hours of darkness is prohibited due to unsafe
road conditions and the threat of armed criminals.
Terrorist groups operate with relative impunity in some
interior areas and are known to target vehicular traffic.
Crime is a serious problem in metropolitan Lima and popular
tourist areas such as Arequipa, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu.
Most crimes involve petty theft, pickpocketing, bag
slashing, grab-and-run, and theft from occupied and
unoccupied vehicles. More violent crimes include armed
robbery, carjacking, and choke-and-rob. Criminals
frequently react violently when resistance is encountered.
In almost all instances it is advisable not to offer
resistance. Most areas of downtown Lima are dangerous and
should be avoided during the hours of darkness. Visitors
are cautioned to remain alert to their surroundings at all
times, particularly when in crowded areas, such as on public
transportation, at outdoor markets, and at tourist sites.
Countermeasures against crime also protect against
terrorism. Special care should be exercised at the Jorge
Chavez International Airport in Callao. Criminals frequent
this area, especially at night, and are known to target
foreigners both inside and outside the terminal.

Security briefings are mandatory for all official visitors
to Peru. Briefings are given in the RSO Conference Room at
the Embassy, on Wednesdays, promptly at 9:00 a.m.


5. (U) ICASS TDY Policy and Action Request:

Each visitor, regardless of length of stay, must
bring/forward fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the
visit. Each agency, organization, or visiting delegation
will be charged for the actual costs attributed to their
visit. Direct charge costs include, but are not limited to:
American and LES staff overtime (e.g., expediter,
accommodation exchange, representational event support),
field travel-lodging and M&IE by Embassy employees, vehicle
rentals, long distance telephone calls, equipment rentals,
office supplies and all other costs that are directly
attributable to the visit. Also, for TDYers over thirty
(30) days, there is a charge for ICASS support services. If
your sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS services
at post, please be prepared to sign a MOU for ICASS support
services upon arrival. The agency should provide post with
a written communication, generated by the traveler's
headquarters that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges
for the TDYers, provides the agency ICASS billing code the
TDY support charges should be applied to, and authorizes the
traveler to sign the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY
module. Where travel is urgent, the TDYers should bring
this documentation with them to ensure there are no
interruptions in the provision of service. Post will not
provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess of thirty
days without provision of this documentation before day 31
of the TDY.


6. (U) HEALTH CONCERNS:

Travelers to the jungle areas of Peru should have up-to-date
yellow fever vaccine and malaria prophylaxis for chloroquine-
resistant strains of malaria. Primary prevention against
malaria and dengue fever includes avoiding the mosquito
vectors of these diseases: using insect repellant,
appropriate protective clothing, and bed netting. Hepatitis
A and B vaccinations are strongly recommended for all
persons before coming to Peru. Rabies is present in country,
and those individuals whose work and/or leisure activities
might expose them to wild animals or feral dogs should
consider receiving the rabies vaccine. Travelers
diarrhea/dysentery is quite common in Peru. Visitors should
substitute bottled beverages for potentially contaminated
water. Fish, shellfish, and vegetables should not be eaten
unless well cooked, and all food should be eaten while still
hot. Fruits with a peel are generally safe, provided they
are peeled before being eaten. Typhoid vaccine is also
recommended. Cholera is endemic in Peru and disease rates
reach high levels from January to May--the same food and
bottled water precautions apply. Travelers planning to
travel to high altitude areas of Peru, such as Cuzco, Machu
Picchu, and Puno, should consult with their health care
provider first, and be fully aware of the health dangers of
high altitudes and measures to minimize these dangers.


7. (SBU) MEDICAL CLEARANCES:

All employees, including WAEs and Civil Service Employees,
who are in TDY status for more than 60 days (cumulatively)
in a calendar year are required to have up-to-date medical
clearances from the Office of Medical Services (Ref:
SecState 243096) in order to receive full State Department
medical benefits including:
--Fully cleared TDY personnel receive supplemental medical
coverage from M/MED for conditions that arise overseas. This
coverage is in addition to, but does not replace, private
insurance coverage;

--Fully cleared TDY employees are eligible for full MEDEVAC
benefits should it become necessary to transport them from
their assigned posts for medical reasons by other than
standard commercial carrier;

--Fully cleared TDY personnel are entitled to use the
facilities of the Medical Unit at post on the same basis as
other permanently assigned personnel.

It is important to understand that if an employee is at a
post without a medical clearance and the embassy medical
provider determines that the employee has a condition that
cannot be adequately cared for at that post, the employee
may not be granted access to the embassy medical unit.
Moreover, an employee at post without a medical clearance is
not/not covered under M/MED for medical evacuation. While
M/MED cannot provide MEDEVAC coverage for TDY employees
without full clearances, private MEDEVAC insurance is
available at reasonable cost and the employee is strongly
encouraged to purchase the insurance. Private air ambulance
medevacs can cost upwards of $100,000. In addition, it is
important for the employee to review private health
insurance coverage. Many HMO type policies do not cover
hospitalization costs incurred outside of the USA. The
employee will need to have a policy type that will reimburse
them for medical expenses overseas.

A medical clearance can be obtained as follows:

If the WAE or other TDY employee lives in the Washington, DC
area, they can schedule a medical clearance exam by calling
(202) 663-1779 or e-mail to medclearances@state.gov.
Availability of examination dates depends on demand and
M/MED's standard priorities. If the exam is conducted in
Washington, there is no cost to the employee. If the
employee lives outside Washington, they may have their
medical clearance exam performed by a private doctor. TheWAE
or TDY employee can obtain the forms that the doctor needs
to complete by calling (202) 663-1668. Clearance exams
performed outside of MED are at the expense of the employee.

Contractors or other long-term TDY employees who are not
direct-hire USG employees are not covered under the
Department of State Medical Program and so would, in
general, fit under the guidelines above for TDY employees
without a medical clearance. They are not covered by M/MED
for medevac and should be covered by medevac insurance
through their contracting company. Access of these employees
to the embassy medical units is a post decision made by the
Chief of Mission or his designate acting upon the advice of
the Regional Medical Officer. Please contact the Embassy
Health Unit for further details.

Employees working TDY for less than 60 cumulative days
annually are not required to have medical clearances and are
not covered under the procedures above. Unfortunately these
short-term TDY employees frequently may have significant
health problems that may be exacerbated by overseas travel
or work and that may require a level of medical care that is
not available at the post where the TDY employees are
working. As with any international traveler on personal or
business travel, these employees should consult with their
personal physician regarding the safety or advisability of
this travel.
STRUBLE