Brazil’s Defense minister admits Bolivia searched Brazilian Air Force airplane in 2011

Criado em 16/07/13 18h38 e atualizado em 17/07/13 11h33
Por Marcelo Brandão Edição:s Fonte:Agência Brasil

Brasília – Brazil’s Defense minister ,Celso Amorim, admitted on Tuesday (July 16) that an aircraft he was using that belonged to the Brazilian Air Force (“FAB”) was searched by Bolivian authorities in Bolivia, in October 2011. The search of the airplane occurred without the minister’s permission. Amorim was on official business in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, at the time.

The Ministry of Defense press office reports that when the search took place they do not know the reason the Bolivian government acted as it did so a complaint was filed against Bolivia. “In the complaint, the Brazilian Embassy in Bolivia declared that if such abusive action happened again, Brazil would invoke the principle of reciprocity.” The ministry went on to state that no violation of this sort was reported after the incident in 2011.

However, according to an article published by the Brazilian daily, Valor Econômico, yesterday, July 16, another incident occurred in 2012, when the Bolivian government searched another Braziliian airplane used by minister Celso Amorim, who was coming back to Brazil from the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra after official business there. The article states that the inspection took place because it was suspected that a Bolivian senator, Roger Pinto, one of president Evo Morales’s opponents, who had taken refuge in the Brazilian embassy, was on board. The Ministry of Defense denies that this second incident occurred.

Editors: Olga Bardawil / Nádia Franco
Translators: Fabrício Ferreira / Allen Bennett