UNASUR Leaders Denounce the Forced Landing of Evo Morales’s Plane

Leaders of five nations of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) gathered in an extraordinary meeting at Cochabamba on July 4 and denounced the forced landing of the presidential plane of President of Bolivia Evo Morales. The plane was forced to land in Vienna after four European countries reportedly denied air space on suspicion that former National Security Agency (NSA) agent turned whistle blower Edward Snowden was on the plane.

In a six point “Cochabamba Declaration” the leaders have stated that the restriction of the freedom of President Morales is a violation of the rights of not only the Bolivian people but of all South American people. They have also declared that this act sets a dangerous precedent in international law. It violates a basic principle in international law, the inviolability of a Head of State.

An Extraodinary Meeting held in Brasilia in 2008.  Antônio Cruz/ABr (Agencia Brasil). Wikimedia Commons.

The UNASUR leaders call on the governments of France, Portugal, Italy and Spain to explain the reasons for the decision to prevent the presidential plane of the Plurinational State of Bolivia overflying through their airspace. They also urge the four countries to offer a public apology.

The UNASUR leaders, through the “Cochabamba Declaration” have extended their support for the complaint filed by the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, for the serious violation of Human Rights and concrete endangerment of Life of President Evo Morales.  The declaration also supports the right of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to perform all the actions necessary steps before the courts and relevant agencies.

The leaders have agreed to form a Monitoring Committee, to take the necessary actions to clarify the facts.