Thousands of Argentine Tourists Face Massive Delays at Chile Border Crossings
MENDOZA, Argentina — The start of January has seen an surge in Argentine tourists, particularly from Mendoza, heading to Chile for their vacations, leading to overwhelming congestion and significant delays at the popular Chilean border crossings.
The Cristo Redentor Integrated System, the most commonly used route for crossing into Chile, operates 24/7 for all vehicle types. However, the high volume of traffic has caused the passage to become overcrowded, leading to wait times of up to 7 hours from the Tunel Internacional to the Los Libertadores custom complex on Monday.
The long waits at the border have been exacerbated by technical issues at the Chilean customs office. Efforts to mitigate the situation by deploying more booths for customs procedures on Tuesday have had limited success, with authorities warning of another 7-hour delay.
Meanwhile, the Paso Pehuenche, located in Malargüe’s southern department, is open from 9 AM to 6 PM and facilitated the crossing of approximately 283 vehicles with almost 900 tourists on Monday.
The prolonged delays have sparked concerns among travelers who were hoping to enjoy their holidays without prolonged wait times at the border. Authorities have yet to announce any concrete plans to address the ongoing issue.
