Mercosur wants apologies

(Vatican Radio) Four MERCOSUR nations are recalling their Ambassadors from Italy, France, Spain and Portugal in the tailwind, of the Bolivian Presidential denied airspace fiasco.

Listen to regional correspondent James Blears' report...


The leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Venezula and Uruguary met in the Uruguyan Capitol Montivideo and made this decison. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said official apologies are demanded from Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.
Airspace was denied to the jet of Bolovia's President Evo Morales, and he was sidelined in Vienna. This was fuelled by unfounded rumors that US intelligence whistle blower Edward Snowden was on board. The flimsy connection was that Snowden's stranded in Moscow while President Morales was returning from there, following a summit.
France has already apologiezed citing conflicting information, but Spain has fallen short of that merely claiming incorrect data.
Ironically, host President Jose Mujica was standing by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on the podium. Earlier this year, hot air got him into hot water. Not realizing a microphone was open and referring to her as well as her late husband ex President Nestor Kirchner he muttered: "The old lady is worse than the cross eyed man. He was more of a politician. She's stubborn."
This airspace incident is appreciably more serious than that back biting indescretion. Bolivia is terming it an act of aggression.