Fake visa business spreads across the country

They are stuck at Terminal C of the Port of Barcelona, ​​Spain. There are 69 Bolivians on the cruise ship who were fraudulently issued Schengen visas. Relatives of victims say those affected paid $10,000 In Bolivia, a travel agency provided them with travel expenses and visa fees. Bolivian police have launched an investigation in the country, but have not yet found the organization that committed such crimes.

According to police investigation, there is a structure Impersonating a travel agency representative They also offer visas. For these procedures, they pay through deposits, but they never carry out said procedures. This happened a year ago in Tarija.

“There are two reasons why they are defrauded by travel agencies: They were sold fake visas They sold them a return ticket to Brazil, but when they were already on the plane, it was cancelled,” a relative of one of the victims detained at the port of Barcelona told Spanish television in April.

So far, it is not clear which travel agency sold the tickets and fake visas. According to media reports from Barcelona, ​​most Bolivians They plan to stay in Spain Going to work and who use cruise ships as a way to reach Barcelona. At the city’s port, several Bolivians are waiting for travelers.

The Bolivian Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (Abavyt) excludes its members from committing crimes such as forging visas.

Yudy Justiniano, president of Abavyt, reports that all travel and tourism agencies Recommendations must be followed And requires every traveler to go to the consulate where the visa is legally obtained.

“A Schengen visa is necessary Short-term travel to Europe is handled by the consulate. The travel agent will advise you and ask you about the consulate’s requirements,” says Justiniano.

The travel agent representative insisted that the agencies do not sell visas for any country and that if they did, they would be committing a crime. “It is very common that we see a person trying to get a visa quickly, rather than approaching and meeting the requirements, and that is wrong. They put a fake stamp in your passport, which has very serious consequences,” he said.

Some people who find someone to make fake visas travel to different European and American countries to illegally look for work. One victim who was deported from Spain in April said she intended to work with relatives in Madrid during her visa period.