© ReutersEdward Snowden
Vienna - The plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales was rerouted to Austria after various European countries refused to let it cross their airspace because of suspicions that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was on board, Bolivian officials said Tuesday.
Officials in both Austria and Bolivia said that Snowden was not on the plane, which was taking Morales home from a summit in Russia, where he had suggested that his government would be willing to consider granting asylum to the American.
A furious Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said France and Portugal would have to explain why they cancelled authorization for the plane, claiming that the decision had put the president's life at risk.
"We don't know who invented this lie" that Snowden was travelling with Morales, Choquehuanca said in La Paz. "We want to denounce to the international community this injustice with the plane of President Evo Morales."
In a midnight press conference, Bolivian Vice-President Alvaro Garcia said that not only France and Portugal, but also Italy and Spain were denying the plane permission to fly through their airspace.
He described Morales as being "kidnapped by imperialism" in Europe.
"The ambassador for Spain in Austria has just informed us that there is no authorization to fly over Spanish territory and that at 9 a.m. Wednesday they would be in contact with us again," said Defence Minister Ruben Saavedra, adding that the Spanish government had put as a condition for passage the "revision of the presidential plane."
Comment: Two Canadians inspired by al Qaeda ideology? Are they serious?
Pressure cooker bombs like those allegedly used at the Boston Bombings?
Timed to happen on the Canadians' equivalent to Patriots' Day?
Foiled thanks to an intel operation that had been monitoring the suspects for months?
If, like us, you're already smelling bullshit, that's because it is...
Strategy of Tension - Boston Marathon bombing