“Hungary’s foreign representation in Panama has evacuated eleven Hungarian citizens from a music festival that local armed forces have placed under quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Parliamentary State Secretary Levente Magyar said in a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Wednesday.

The State Secretary told the press that the group of Hungarians had been affected by the quarantine a few days ago, meaning that the stretch of beach where the festival was being held has been closed off by the authorities. Hungarians diplomats from the consular office in Panama intervened, and have successfully evacuated the Hungarians from the quarantine”, he added. “The group of Hungarians is currently being cared for by staff from the consulate in Panama; they are safe and will eventually by flying home, which requires further organisation”, Mr. Magyar added.

“This highlights the importance of the fact that the Hungarian diplomatic representation network around the world should be as broad as possible, and that we should be present in as many countries as possible”, he pointed, adding that while Hungary only had 85 foreign representations in 2014, that number has since increased to 155, meaning there are embassies, consulates, or consular offices at this many points around the globe. “The consulate in Panama was opened by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó almost exactly a year ago”, Mr. Magyar pointed out.

“In the small hours of the morning of Sunday, 15 March, the consulate was informed of the fact that there were Hungarian citizens attending the Tribal Gathering 2020 music festival in Panama, which was scheduled to end that same day, and which was being held far from any city, between the jungle and Playa Chiquita beach”, the Ministry said in a statement.

“On 16 March, Panamanian armed forces (the country doesn’t officially have an army) and the local police surrounded the location within the framework of a joint operation because they had become aware of two festival-goers who were suspected of being infected with COVID-19”, the Ministry explained.

“According to the information available, there are 700 people of various nationalities (including 70 Germans, for instance) still at the location, and accordingly it may be stated without a doubt that the personal presence and effective action of the consular service was necessary to enable the evacuation of the Hungarian citizens from an area that is under strict guard by armed forces”, the Ministry emphasised.

(MTI)