Mutt,
As long as the machine wasn't a grey import, the warranty is an international one on the laptops, for a year if no AppleCare purchased, a total of three years if you bought AppleCare.
They will ultimately swap machines within warranty if they can't be fixed, but they will try to fix them first.
Are there any Apple Authorised Service Providers where you are? They are listed here:
AASD/AAD list