Bolivia threatens to close US embassy
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 5, 2013
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Bolivian president Morales (second from left) with other leaders of South America nations at a recent meeting. |
Bolivia has warned to close the U.S. embassy in the country after its president's official plane was forced to divert to Vienna over suspicions that the whistleblower Edward Snowden was on the plane.
The move came after several South America nations' leaders expressed outrage at the plane diversion, which was considered as an affront to South America.
The plane carrying Bolivian president Morales from Moscow, where he was attending a meeting of natural gas-producing nations, was forced to divert to Vienna, Austria, since France and Portugal prevented the plane from overflying their airspace over the suspicions that Snowden was on the plane.
Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca denied the suspicions that whistleblower Edward Snowden was on the Bolivian president's plane flying out of Europe.
The Bolivian president blamed the U.S. for pressurising European countries into refusing him passage.
"My hand would not shake to close the US embassy," said Mr. Morales.
"We have dignity, sovereignty. Without the United States, we are better politically and democratically."
Mr Morales got support from the presidents of Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Venezuela.
After the diplomatic incident occurred, Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador, called on his fellow South American presidents to "take action" against US' urging the EU to ban Morales' plane.
Argentinian president, Cristina Kirchner twittered that she felt furious at the incident.
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