Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Bolivian presidential plane forced down in Austria

The Continuing Saga of the Keystone Kops, Part >9000
"Bolivia denounced the “abduction” of President Evo Morales and alleged that international law had been violated after his plane was grounded and searched amid a false rumor that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was on board.

"The jet took off from Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday, almost 12 hours after it was forced to land there when France, Portugal, Italy and Spain all denied the plane access to their airspace.

"The aircraft was stopped and searched as it was taking Morales home from Russia, where he had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit for gas exporters.

"No unauthorized people were found on board.

“'We want to tell Bolivians, we want to tell the world, that President Evo Morales, our president, the president of all Bolivians, was kidnapped in Europe today,' Vice President Alvaro GarcĂ­a Linera said late Tuesday in front of the official presidential residence in the capital, La Paz. 'We want to say to the nations of the world that President Evo Morales has been abducted by imperialism and is being held in Europe.'”

"A statement (http://www.presidencia.gob.bo/index.php) from aboard the presidential plane on Wednesday underlined the indignation and fury felt at the highest levels of the Bolivian government."

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Ironically, the president's aircraft, under the Vienna Convention of 1961, is considered to be sovereign territory and the president himself a 'diplomatic emissary', and not to be hindered in his travels. Vienna is, of course, the capital of Austria.
 
Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/03/19264421-the-hunt-for-edward-snowden-search-of-presidential-jet-angers-bolivia?lite