Evo Morales threatens to close the US embassy.
The Bolivian president said he wouldn't "shake his hand" if he detected conspiracies against his government, after accusing the White House of ordering European countries to close their airspace to his plane. "The firm position we will take is to ensure respect for international norms and treaties before international organizations," he stated.
247 Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Thursday that he would not hesitate to close the U.S. embassy in his country if he detected conspiracies against his government, after accusing the White House of ordering European countries to close their airspace to his plane.
The Bolivian government accused Washington of ordering European countries to intimidate and frighten it, after Morales stated in Moscow, where Snowden is located, that he would be willing to consider an asylum request from the man who revealed a vast US espionage scheme.
"They are surely still infiltrated here and there, to carry out espionage. Hopefully there will be more maturity; I wouldn't hesitate to close the US embassy. We have dignity, we have sovereignty," he told thousands of supporters before an extraordinary meeting with South American leaders.
The United States, which claims to have made efforts to establish a relationship with Bolivia based on mutual respect and cooperation and that it has assisted Bolivia in its anti-drug program, has not commented on Morales' accusations.
"Without the US we are better off politically, democratically. Without the World Bank, without the International Monetary Fund we are better off financially, so we don't need them, we have other allies," said the president.
Europe
Bolivian President Evo Morales said yesterday that apologies from European countries "are not enough" after being barred from European airspace last Tuesday.
"The firm stance we will take is to ensure respect for international norms and treaties before international organizations. The excuse of some country that did not allow us to pass through its territory is not enough," he stated.
Bolivia accuses France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy of initially refusing to allow its plane to fly under suspicion that the presidential plane—which had departed from Moscow bound for La Paz—was carrying former CIA technician Edward Snowden, responsible for leaking the American government's espionage scheme.
After a stopover in Vienna and the inspection of the presidential plane, the four countries cleared their airspace.