Brazil turns away another Spanish tourist for not meeting entry
requirements.  The incident follows a similar one barring eight Spanish
tourists last week and comes amid a diplomatic spat with Spain over
Brazilians' entry into their country

FORTALEZA, BRAZIL (MARCH 11, 2008) (TV GLOBO) - Brazil turned back one more Spanish citizen at a northeastern
airport on Tuesday (March 11) for not meeting entry requirements amid a
diplomatic spat over immigration.
    An immigration officer in Fortaleza said 31-year-old Gerard Llorene,
who planned to spend three months in Brazil, did not have the minimum amount
of money required for entry or proof of hotel reservations.
   Struggling to communicate with the immigration agent, Llorene tried to
explain that he would search for a hotel when he arrived in Jericoacoara. But
the officer declined the tourist's explanation.
    "You will have to return to your country because you don't have an
address here in Brazil," said the immigration officer.
     Another Spanish visitor tried to help Llorene, but failed to convince
the officer.
    On Friday (March 07) a group of eight Spaniards was barred at Salvador
airport for the same reasons.
    The issue was set off early last week when Brazilian students were
interrogated and deported because they lacked hotel reservations.
    The chief of Brazilian immigration, Thomas Wlassak, said tourists
without hotel reservations are not welcome in Brazil.
    "In this case it is very easy to regard him as a tourist who we
have no interest of receiving in our country," he said.
    Foreign Minister Celso Amorim had already complained to Spain earlier
this year about the restrictions and demanded Brazilian citizens be treated
with dignity.
    Official figures show over 2,500 Brazilians have been barred in Spain
in 2007 and some 800 have been turned back so far this year.