Parked trucks are pictured during a protest against Chile’s new entry protocols into the country, which require all drivers to test negative for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Argentina’s border with Chile , in Uspallata, Mendoza, Argentina on January 28, 2022. Photo taken with a drone. REUTERS/Maximiliano Rios

Jan 29 (Reuters) – Thousands of Argentinian truck drivers were stranded at the Chilean border on Saturday due to slow COVID-19 testing, as Chile faced its second crisis of transportation delays.

Since January 21, more than 3,000 trucks have been stuck at the Cristo Redentor customs checkpoint in Mendoza, according to the Argentine Federation of Commercial Entities for the Transport of Goods (FADEEAC).

The long wait has put a strain on drivers and some trucks, as trucks with refrigerators have to run constantly to keep cargo at cold temperatures.

“It’s becoming a real problem,” said Brazilian trucker Junior Cesar, whose truck is parked in Uspallata, Argentina, near the Chilean border. “The engines are running day and night and they are starting to fail and affect the cargo.”

Frustrated drivers waited by their trucks, cooking and sharing whatever food they could buy. They showered with buckets of water or a nearby bathroom that charges 300 Argentine pesos ($3) per use.

“I’ve been here for two weeks,” said Ruben Soza, a truck driver from Mendoza. “I have a refrigeration unit as you can see, with garlic, and the gasoline is not enough to run the refrigeration unit.”

A similar problem has occurred on Chile’s northern border in the Tambo Quemado mountain pass, where Bolivian drivers also face long queues for COVID-19 tests.

FADEEAC has asked the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene and try to avoid further delays and minimize economic losses, which FADEEAC estimates amount to $700 per day.

On Friday, the Chilean Ministry of Health reported 26,727 new cases of COVID-19. Argentina reported 63,884.

Reporting by Juan Bustamante; written by Diane Craft; edited by Grant McCool

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