Tensions mount over Spain’s role in Morales airspace fracas

[morningfog]

Latin American outrage against Spain continued to pour in on Thursday after the Madrid government joined a group of European countries in deciding to close off its airspace to Bolivian President Evo Morales. Some regional leaders said they will reevaluate their relations with Madrid and file complaints against Spain, Italy, France and Portugal in global forums.

Ecuador accused Spain of instructing its ambassador in Austria to board Morales’ plane as it was grounded in Vienna to see if the Bolivian leader was trying to spirit away wanted former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

“Who does that prime minister, Rajoy, think he is? He thinks South Americans are still his slaves?” asked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who said he would reconsider his country’s relations with the “vile” Popular Party government, but “not with the people of Spain.”

Morales was held up for close to 14 hours at Vienna International Airport on Tuesday and early Wednesday after the governments of France, Italy, and Portugal closed off their airspace to the Bolivian presidential plane when rumors surfaced that it may have been carrying Snowden, a former CIA contractor wanted by the United States for leaking intelligence.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo said that because the presidential jet had missed its window for authorization to fly over Spain because of the “difficulties” presented by the other countries, the plane wasn’t allowed in. But he denied that Spain also closed off its airspace.

Morales was returning from a meeting in Moscow when his plane was diverted to Austria after French aviation officials canceled airspace authorization. After the diplomatic incident was sorted out, he made a technical stopover in the Canary Islands before returning to La Paz.

* * *

In Lima, Peruvian President Humala Ollanta said that the four nations need “to give some hard explanations” as to why they decided to revoke Morales’ airspace privileges.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/07/04/inenglish/1372963780_458244.html

[KoKo]

1. Being held for 14 hours is not just a glitch..!

[RufusTFirefly]

2. Those hot-blooded Latin types. Always exaggerating.

[flamingdem]

3. Wow this article has a fact that goes against your narrative LOL

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel García-Margallo said that because the presidential jet had missed its window for authorization to fly over Spain because of the “difficulties” presented by the other countries, the plane wasn’t allowed in. But he denied that Spain also closed off its airspace.

Wow, a fact! As in wow there might be reasons for what happened.

What's this about Ecuador accusing Spain? Ecuador wasn't there, right?

[arikara]

4. A rather ridiculous reason

more like a stupid excuse. And just as totally believable as the US assertion that all 4 countries had the bright idea to insult Morales on their own, without any coercion.

[zeemike]

5. There are always reasons.for everything

There are the real reasons and the bullshit reasons you make up so you don't have to admit to the real ones.

[flamingdem]

6. Your posts remind me of someone's .. can't quite think who though

?

[DeSwiss]

7. ''Chicken-shits. The whole lot of them.'' - K&R :-/ n/t

[Ash_F]

8. "he would reconsider his country’s relations with the “vile” Popular Party government"

For those who don't know, the Popular Party is a right wing party with its beginnings in the fascist era of Spain. Many of it's members were former Francoists(read fascists). Basically, after there was huge public disgust with the fascists, they needed a re-branding.

Why do some DUers always side with the right wing party in any dispute? Why are they even Democrats in America? Are they just completely ignorant of who they are supporting?