ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando General Consulate of Colombia is working to bring home more than 500 Colombian citizens who have been stuck in Florida since the South American nation closed its borders in mid-March.

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“My office received about 1,500 requests from Colombian visitors stranded in Central and North Florida,” General Consul Claudia Bustamante said.

The government began to work with them to help them get home through a commercial-humanitarian award, in which the government allows a commercial-humanitarian flight. The passengers, however, must pay for their ticket. So far, more than 900 have returned to Colombia.

Bustamante said the Colombian government’s priority is to help bring home tourists in Central Florida who brought enough for a vacation but not enough for this long-term situation. These people don’t have family in the U.S., or have special medical needs.

Bustamante said another concern is that many of the tourists' visas will expire; she's been urging them to apply for a renewal request.

Meanwhile, “their funds are disappearing, and they can’t work,” Bustamante said.​

Otherwise, they'll be placed into a removal process that could result in them being unable to return to the U.S. for 10 years.

Bustamante said there are more than 300 citizens they plan to prioritize next.

Leonor Velosa, 64, was flown to Colombia after months of waiting.

"I did start to feel like it wasn't going to happen for me,” Velosa said.

Unlike many others stranded in the U.S., she was a U.S. citizen and owned a home in Orlando. She said she was able to return to her birth country because she has a diagnosed medical condition that puts her at risk for COVID-19. Velosa recently retired and has no insurance to cover medical costs.

“I realized it was going to be something serious and that I was alone because most of my family is here in Colombia,” Velosa said.

Bustamante said the Colombian government may reopen its borders September 1.

She said anyone stranded should:

  • Email her office at corlando@cancilleria.gov.co
  • Include what difficulties they’re facing (i.e. diminishing funds, expiring tourist visa, medical needs)
  • Apply for a renewal request (the Orlando General Consulate of Colombia provides a step-by-step process to do that if someone requests it through email)

Meanwhile, Velosa flew out from Orlando International Airport on July 2.

“It was very moving. I was almost in tears when I got in,” Velosa said.

She quarantined for 14 days before she was able to see her family in person again.

“It felt like freedom,” Velosa said. “It was unbelievable.”