here's the latest, from 4 hours ago,
Quote:
Bolivian officials said that France, Portugal and Italy blocked the plane from flying over their territories based on unfounded rumors that Snowden was on board.
French government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said ??France ended up authorizing the flight over its airspace by Mr. Morales? plane.??
She said the plane ??was authorized to fly over French territory?? but wouldn?t explain whether there had been an initial refusal Tuesday night amid the rumors about Snowden?s presence on the plane.
The Portuguese Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that Portugal had granted permission for the plane to fly through its air space but declined Bolivia?s request for a refueling stop in Lisbon due to unspecified technical reasons.
Italian officials were not available to speak on the subject.
Meanwhile a separate saga played out with Spanish authorities.
Bolivia said Spain agreed to allow the plane to refuel in the Canary Islands ? but only if Bolivian authorities allowed it to be inspected. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo denied Wednesday that his country demanded an inspection of the Bolivian plane.
Speaking in Berlin, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said authorization was given for the plane to stop and refuel in Spain?s Canary Islands but that it was important Snowden was not aboard. He said the debate was ??a little artificial.??
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