Russia raps France, Spain, Portugal over blocking airspace to Morales

Russia has censured France, Spain and Portugal for blocking Bolivian President Evo Morales’ plane from flying through their airspace over unfounded suspicion.

Bolivia earlier said that France, Spain, Portugal and Italy had refused to allow Morales’ plane, which was flying to La Paz from Moscow, to cross their airspace on suspicion of carrying US surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden on board.

“The action of the French, Spanish and Portuguese authorities can hardly be viewed as a friendly step toward Bolivia or Russia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a Thursday statement.

Morales’ plane was forced to land in Austria en route to Bolivia. The aircraft left Vienna after a stopover of more than 12 hours.

“The denial of overfly rights to the aircraft could have created a threat to the security of the onboard passengers, including the head of a sovereign state,” the Russian statement added.

Meanwhile, the Bolivian president urged European nations to “free themselves from the US empire” as he arrived home late Wednesday.

On June 3, Bolivia’s Ambassador to the UN Sacha Llorenti told reporters in Geneva that the decisions of the European countries on blocking Morales’ plane violated “international law.”

“Bolivia not only condemns these acts, but will take all international legal steps so this is not overlooked,” Llorenti said.

He added that the diversion was an “act of aggression” against his country, and was equal to “kidnapping” the Bolivian president.