Bolivian President Evo Morales (C) and his counterparts Nicolas Maduro (C left) of Venezuela and Rafael Correa (C, right) of Ecuador gathered in Cochabamba, on July 4, 2013.
Several South American leaders have rallied behind Bolivian President Evo Morales, whose plane was diverted in Europe this week due to false rumors that US surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden was on board.
The leaders of Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina and Uruguay gathered in the Bolivian central city of Cochabamba on Thursday to support Morales, and express their outrage over his “virtual kidnapping” and the US pressure that spurred it.
France, Spain, Portugal and Italy refused to allow Morales’ plane, which was flying from Moscow back to Bolivia, to cross their airspace on Tuesday. Morales’ life had been put in danger by the forced emergency landing in Vienna, Austria, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said after the incident.
On Thursday, Morales blamed the United States for pressuring European states to refuse to allow his plane to fly through their airspace.
“We do not need the embassy of the United States,” said Morales, adding that leaders of his party — the Movement for Socialism-Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples — had asked him to take action.
“We don’t need them to come here with the excuse of cooperation,” he added.
Shortly after arriving in Cochabamba for the summit, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said, “Europe broke all the rules of the game.”
“We’re here to tell President Evo Morales that he can count on us. Whoever picks a fight with Bolivia, picks a fight with Venezuela.”
Earlier in the day, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said that if any country had denied airspace to a Western leader, it would have been launch a war.
Å“Imagine for one second if this had happened with a European president or the US president — it probably would’ve been grounds for war. And here they think they can infringe and crush international law.”
Before departing for Bolivia, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said, “Latin America has to react.”
Å“Imagine for one second if this had happened with a European president or the US president — it probably would’ve been grounds for war. And here they think they can infringe and crush international law,” he added.
The Bolivian president was in Moscow to attend a meeting of natural gas-producing nations.
Bolivia is one of the countries to which Snowden has applied for asylum.
Washington has asked Ecuador, Cuba, Venezuela, and Russia not to provide asylum to Snowden.
GJH/HN
Republished with permission from: Press TV