Bolivia's president left Europe for home yesterday amid diplomatic drama after his flight was rerouted and delayed overnight in Austria, allegedly because of suspicions that he was trying to spirit NSA leaker Edward Snowden from Moscow to Latin America.

Bolivia accused the United States of ordering European countries to block President Evo Morales' flight from their airspace and accused European governments of "aggression" by thwarting the flight.

However, it's still unclear whether European countries did block the plane and, if so, why. French, Spanish and Portuguese officials all said the plane was allowed to cross their territory.

Snowden himself remains out of public view, believed to be stuck in a Moscow airport transit area, seeking asylum from one of more than a dozen countries.

Bolivia's president sparked speculation during a visit to Russia after he said his country would be willing to consider granting asylum to Snowden.

The plane carrying Morales home from a Moscow summit was rerouted to Vienna on Tuesday night, adding a new twist to the international uproar over Snowden's revelations of widespread US surveillance.

The plane took off again shortly before noon yesterday.

Austrian officials said Morales' plane was searched by Austrian border police after Morales gave permission.

Bolivian and Austrian officials both say Snowden was not on board.

The emergency stop in Austria may have been caused by a dispute over where the plane could refuel and whether European authorities could inspect it for signs of Snowden.

Morales' aircraft asked controllers at Vienna airport to land because there was "no clear indication" that the plane had enough fuel to continue on its journey, an official in Vienna said.

Bolivia's ambassador to the United Nations, speaking in Geneva yesterday, insisted that several European countries had refused permission for the plane to fly in their airspace.

Sacha Llorenti said it was an "act of aggression" and that the countries violated international law. Llorenti said "the orders came from the United States but other nations violated the immunity of the president and his plane, putting his life at risk."

Bolivian officials said France, Portugal and Italy blocked the plane from flying over their territories based on unfounded rumors Snowden was on board.

French government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said" "France ended up authorizing the flight over its airspace by Mr Morales' plane."

She said the plane "was authorized to fly over French territory" but wouldn't explain whether there had been an initial refusal on Tuesday night.

Portugal said it granted permission for the plane to fly through its air space but declined Bolivia's request for a refueling stop in Lisbon due to unspecified technical reasons.

Italian officials were not available to comment.

Meanwhile, a separate saga played out with Spanish authorities.

Bolivia said Spain agreed to allow the plane to refuel in the Canary Islands ? but only if Bolivian authorities allowed it to be inspected. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo denied his country demanded an inspection of the Bolivian plane.

Speaking in Berlin, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said authorization was given for the plane to stop and refuel in the Canary Islands but that it was important Snowden was not on board. He said the debate was "a little artificial."

While the Bolivian presidential plane sat in pre-dawn darkness on the tarmac in Vienna yesterday, a surreal scene played out when Spain's ambassador to Austria visited the airport to meet with Morales, the Bolivian president told reporters.

The ambassador, Alberto Carnero, asked Morales if they could board the Bolivian plane together.

"He asked me to go have a coffee inside the plane to see the plane," Morales said, adding that he believed the request was made so the plane could be inspected.

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