(CNN) — The Bolivian presidential jet, which was forced to make a brief landing in Austria after Portugal and France refused to allow it in their airspace because of rumors that Edward Snowden, the notorious U.S. intelligence leaker was on board, has now landed in Spain’s Canary Islands.
Bolivian officials say the official aircraft was carrying President Evo Morales.
Portuguese and French authorities wouldn’t let the plane land in their territories, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca told reporters.
“We are told that there were some unfounded suspicions that Mr. Snowden was on the plane,” Choquehuanca said. “We do not know who has invented this lie. Someone who wants to harm our country. This information that has been circulated is malicious information to harm this country.”
The plane was temporarily grounded in Vienna, and the Austrians confirmed Snowden was not on board.
The plane had been flying from Moscow back to Bolivia. The foreign minister said authorities from the South American country are investigating the source of the false rumors about Snowden. Bolivia’s air travel rights were violated, he said.
“Portugal owes us an explanation. France owes us an explanation. … The president’s life was put at risk,” Choquehuanca said.
Morales had been in Russia for a conference of gas-exporting countries, where he told the Russia Today news network that he would be willing to consider asylum for Snowden.
But Bolivian officials stressed that accusations that an official aircraft would harbor Snowden were baseless.
“We cannot lie to the international community by carrying ghost passengers,” Choquehuanca said.
