TEL AVIV - A group of 117 Israelis arrived in Chile Wednesday evening (Israel time) after taking a special Foreign Ministry flight out of Bolivia, where politically motivated riots erupted in the capital La Paz recently.
Dozens of other Israeli backpackers are still in the troubled South American country, but they are in a safe area and are not facing any danger, the Foreign Ministry said. Meanwhile, another 20 Israelis chose to take different flights.
Sigh of relief after some tense moments
On Tuesday, the Israelis were evacuated away from trouble spots in the capital to the La Paz airport.
One of those evacuated, Omer Av, 23, told Ynet the travelers reached the airport by taxi.
"We left in groups of four backpackers to a cab, in order not to draw attention," he said. "We kept on getting contradictory information. At first we were told we'll be taken by a military flight, but at the end it was a civilian airplane."
Some Israelis wanted to stay
Despite the tense situation in the country, some Israelis wanted to stay in Bolivia and continue their trip, Av said.
"Some people came back only because their mother wouldn't forgive them if they didn't take that flight," he said. "In any case, everyone is in good spirits now."
Meanwhile, Meira Melamed, whose son Lior was traveling in Bolivia, said she has been constantly checking the news the past two days, but downplayed her concerns.
"No one was stressed. When he was in Gaza I was more stressed," she said. "I'm glad they got out of there and arrived in Chile safely."
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry official Meron Reuben, a former Israeli ambassador to Bolivia, said the rescue operation was particularly difficult because it was undertaken by "remote control," through the embassy in Peru, because the Israeli mission in Bolivia was shut down in December 2003 due to budgetary constraints.
