MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UNASUR special meeting to discuss the diversion of Bolivian President Evo Morales' plane in Europe
The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) condemned the diversion of Bolivia’s President Evo Morales flight on Tuesday, after France and Portugal refused to let the plane into their airspace. Several Latin American leaders criticized the decision severely, and asked for explanations from the international community.
In order to achieve a unified action, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa called a meeting with all the members of Unasur -- which will be held on Thursday in Lima, as Peru’s Ollanta Humala is the current president of the bloc.
In a statement, the group expressed its “indignation and a profound rejection of the unfriendly and unjustifiable acts that put at risk the safety of the Bolivian head of state and his team.” The bloc demanded more information about the event from the European nations involved. The Bolivians say Morales' flight from Moscow was blocked because it was falsely believed that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was aboard.
A spokesman for the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said that there will also be a presidential summit held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, at a date unknown.
The Argentinian president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, attacked the “vestiges of colonialism” in a speech in Buenos Aires. “We believe this constitutes not only the humiliation of a sister nation but of all South America,” she said
Evo Morales finally arrived to El Alto close La Paz city on Thursday 03.39 GMT, 17 hours after he took off from Viena where he has an emergency landed.
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Jul 04th, 2013 - 05:20 am 0The aircraft looks like a French Dassault Falcon 50 with a range of 3500 miles. Google it, I did.
The distance from Moscow to Vienna 1000 miles.
Why would an aircraft carrying “a national leader” take off with a third of it's fuel capacity on board?
What about filing a flight plan, it's not like switching on your Sat Nav and setting off down a motorway, is it?
Something stinks here!
Wow, these guys have meetings for the sake of meetings, don't they.
Jul 04th, 2013 - 05:50 am 0Is Bolivia so weak that it can't stand up for itself, that it needs the rest of South America to speak on its behalf?
As for the diversion for the aircraft, well since it was flying through the airspace of SOVEREIGN nations, it's up to them as to whether it can overfly regardless of whose on board.
I mean, our South American friends who are always SCREAMING at the top of their voices about their SOVEREIGN rights, now seem to want to deny those same rights to other nations.
Tut, tut, how hypocritical of them...
Storm in a teacup! Correa stirring it again!
Jul 04th, 2013 - 06:08 am 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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