Rerouted Morales Plane Has South American Leaders Irate

Leaders of Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay and Suriname had a special meeting to address broad concerns about US and European regard for Latin America in terms of diplomacy and surveillance. The meeting was occasioned by the rerouting of a plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales as he left Russia. European air-traffic controllers reportedly assisted the US in forcing the plane to land in Vienna for a search of Edward Snowden, a contract worker for US national security who has exposed methods and targets of top-secret surveillance programs. “Latin American leaders were outraged by the incident, calling it a violation of national sovereignty and a slap in the face for a region that has suffered through humiliations by Europe and several U.S.-backed military coups,” reports the Associated Press. “It's still unclear whether European countries did block the plane and, if so, why. French, Spanish and Portuguese officials have all said the plane was allowed to cross their territory.” It’s unclear if the plane was searched. Snowden, reported to be at a transit zone in a Russian airport, has not been seen in a week. – YaleGlobal