Snowden saga: Bolivia furious over diversion of Morales’ jet

Bolivian President Evo Morales talks to journalists yesterday at the airport of Schwechat, near Vienna. Morales angrily denied any wrongdoing after his plane was diverted to Vienna over suspicion fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden was on board.Reuters/Vienna/GenevaBolivia yesterday accused the US of trying to “kidnap” its president, Evo Morales, after his plane was denied permission to fly over some European countries on suspicion he was taking fugitive former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden to Latin America.Snowden was not on the plane when it landed in Vienna, an Austrian official said. The US has been trying to get its hands on Snowden since he revealed details of its secret surveillance programmes last month. Snowden is believed to be stranded in the transit lounge of a Moscow airport.Bolivia said the incident, in which the plane was denied permission to fly over France and Portugal before making a stop in Vienna, was an act of aggression and a violation of international law. The White House declined to comment on the Bolivian assertion.The furore was the latest twist in a saga which has raised debate over the balance between privacy rights and national security. Revelations of US surveillance on European countries have also strained transatlantic relations.France yesterday said free-trade talks between the European Union and the US should be delayed by two weeks given tensions over media reports, stemming from the Snowden case, that Washington is spying on the 28-nation bloc.The Bolivian plane was taking Morales home from an energy conference in Moscow when it landed at Vienna airport on Tuesday evening. Austrian Deputy Chancellor Michael Spindelegger said Morales personally denied that Snowden was aboard his jet and agreed to a voluntary inspection. “Based on this invitation from Bolivia a colleague boarded the plane, looked at everything and there was no one else on board,” Spindelegger told reporters.However, Bolivian Defence Minister Ruben Saavedra said Morales’ plane was not searched because Morales’ had refused Austrian authorities entry.Bolivia’s ambassador to the UN, Sacha Llorenti Soliz, expressed outrage at the chain of events.“We’re talking about the president on an official trip after an official summit being kidnapped,” he said in Geneva.“We have no doubt that it was an order from the White House. By no means should a diplomatic plane with the president be diverted from its route and forced to land in another country.”The ambassador said Bolivia’s anger was directed at the US and the countries that prevented the plane from flying over them.“There is no problem with relations with Austria. On the contrary, we are grateful that we were able to land there,” he told Reuters.The plane eventually left about noon and by mid-afternoon had arrived at Spain’s Canary Islands for a refuelling stop. But the incident was not likely to be forgotten quickly.Llorenti said Bolivia, which is part of a Venezuelan-led leftist alliance that has challenged US political and economic influence in Latin America, would complain to the UN.Leaders of the South American bloc Unasur, which promotes trade and cooperation among their governments, demanded an explanation for what they called “unfriendly and unjustifiable acts”. A Brazilian government official said Unasur would hold a ministerial meeting in Lima today to discuss the diversion of Morales’ plane.In a statement from Peru’s government, which holds the group’s presidency, Unasur expressed outrage and indignation that the plane was not allowed to land in Portugal and France.Bolivia is among more than a dozen countries where Snowden has sought asylum and Morales has said he would consider granting the American refuge.The 30-year-old Snowden, who worked for the National Security Agency as a contractor in Hawaii, has been trying since June 23 to find a country that will offer him refuge from prosecution in the US on espionage charges.But his options have narrowed since he arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong with no valid travel documents after the US revoked his passport. Five countries have rejected granting Snowden asylum, seven have said they would consider a request if made on their soil, and eight said they had either not made a decision or not received a request.Latin America leaders angered

Latin American leaders slammed European governments yesterday for diverting Bolivian President Evo Morales’ plane on rumours it was carrying a wanted former US spy agency contractor, adding a new diplomatic spat to the Edward Snowden saga.Morales was returning from Moscow on Tuesday when France and Portugal abruptly banned his plane from entering their airspace due to suspicions that Snowden, wanted by Washington for leaking secrets, was onboard. Italy and Spain also banned the Bolivian plane from their skies.The unusual treatment of the Bolivian military aircraft touched a sensitive nerve in the region, which has a history of US-backed coups. Several furious presidents from across the region rallied behind Morales and protests erupted on the streets of Bolivia.