Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LIMA452
2007-02-15 16:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Lima
Cable title:  

COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR CODEL NELSON AND STAFF

Tags:  OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN CO BL EC SC NU PE 
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VZCZCXYZ0029
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #0452/01 0461621
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151621Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4000
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA IMMEDIATE 4372
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ FEB 4039
RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA IMMEDIATE 0869
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO IMMEDIATE 1016
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE IMMEDIATE 1869
UNCLAS LIMA 000452 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR H
DEPARTMENT FOR RM/F/DFS/FO/AA/CAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN CO BL EC SC NU PE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR CODEL NELSON AND STAFF

REF: STATE 15976

UNCLAS LIMA 000452

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR H
DEPARTMENT FOR RM/F/DFS/FO/AA/CAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN CO BL EC SC NU PE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR CODEL NELSON AND STAFF

REF: STATE 15976


1. (U) The Embassy grants country clearance for the visit
to Peru of Senator Bill Nelson, Mrs. Grace Nelson, Caroline
Tess, Sherry Davich, and Capt. Gene Moran from February 21-23,

2007. Senator Nelson, Senate Armed Services Committee
(SASC),will lead a CODEL on official business to Costa Rica,
Nicaragua, Ecuador and Peru.

Rooms within per diem ($140 plus 10% service tax) have been
reserved at the Swissotel Lima. Address: Via Central 150
Centro Empresarial Real, San Isidro, Tel. 511 421-4400,
Fax: 511 421-4422, website: www.lima.swissotel.com.
POC: Rosana Martinez, Sales Manager.

When departing Lima by air, the Republic of Peru imposes an
airport departure tax on any outbound passenger of 30.25
USD for international flights and 6.05 USD for domestic
flights.


2. POINT OF CONTACT, TELEPHONE NUMBERS, ADDRESS

Point of contact for the visit is Political Officer David
Brooks, office telephone number (51)(1)618-2515, cellular
telephone (51)(1)9-678-0355, e-mail: brooksdc2@state.gov.
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.


3. 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.

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.


4. SECURITY:

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. 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.

5. 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. 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.


6. 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. MEDICAL CLEARANCES:

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.


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