Bolivia admits it searched a Brazilian aircraft

Criado em 18/07/13 15h22 e atualizado em 19/07/13 11h26
Por Renata Giraldi* Edição:s Fonte:Agência Brasil

Brasilia – The Bolivian minister of Defense, Rubén Saavedra, has admitted in an official note that a Brazilian Air Force aircraft being used by Brazil’s minister of Defense, Celso Amorim, was searched by Bolivian authorities in October 2011. At the time, the Brazilian government made a formal complaint and demanded an explanation.

According to the Bolivian government, the impasse created by the incident was overcome after a number of meetings between representatives of both countries and a promise by Bolivia to punish “excesses” committed at airports in Bolivia.

The Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Relations says that the Brazilian aircraft was searched by military personnel because of suspicions that drugs were abroad. Bolivian authorities have denied that the search occurred because of suspicions that an opposition senator, Roger Pinto Molina, was aboard.

Pinto Molina took refuge in the Brazilian embassy in Bolivia 13 months ago and is awaiting safe conduct so he can leave the country for asylum in Brazil. However, Bolivian authorities have refused a safe conduct document, claiming that Pinto Molina faces criminal charges in Bolivia.

The search of the Amorim airplane created bad feelings between Brazil and Bolivia. The Bolivian minister of Communications, Amanda Davila, explained how the situation was resolved after a series of bilateral meetings. According to Davila, “The Bolivian government laments the incident that took place in the second half of 2011 in which an operation by Bolivian Special Narcotraffic Combat Forces went into action in airplanes belonging to the Brazilian Air Force.”

Meanwhile, in Brazil, the Ministry of Defense issued a note on Tuesday (July 17), also lamenting the incident with Amorim’s plane, adding that it was unacceptable. The note says that the Brazilian embassy in Bolivia informed Bolivian authorities that a repetition of the incident would result in the application of the principle of reciprocity by Brazil. The note concludes by observing that since the 2011 incident there have not been any new searches of FAB aircraft by Bolivian authorities.

Editors: José Romildo / Nira Foster
Translators: Mayra Borges / Allen Bennett