| Submit your comments on this article |
| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Caracas flight stoned in Bolivia |
| 2007-12-11 |
| A mysterious Venezuelan air force flight came under attack from vigilantes when it touched down last week at an airfield in northern Bolivia amid fears that the transport plane was delivering weapons. Suspicions were only deepened when officials confirmed that a Venezuelan banking official on board the flight had been carrying a briefcase stuffed with $160,000 in cash. The airfield, at Riberalta, is located near a Bolivian uranium-mining area, adding to long-standing suspicions that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is trying to purchase uranium from his Latin American neighbor for transshipment to Iran. Riberalta is in Bolivia's northern and eastern lowlands, where local officials are resisting efforts by President Evo Morales to concentrate more power in his central government, which is dominated by highland Indians. More than 400 changes to the constitution were approved by a special assembly dominated by Mr. Morales' ruling party during an all-night session ending Sunday morning. Bolivian government officials said the Venezuelan airplane, a C-130 bearing the registration number 9508, was making an "emergency" stop to refuel on its way to Brazil after delivering helicopter pilots, spare parts and telecommunications equipment to Bolivia"s Andean capital, La Paz. But Ernesto Suarez, the governor of Beni province where Riberalta is located, said he had received reports that the plane was going to deliver "heavy armaments" to the city when it landed Thursday, and that a posse of citizens had been organized to see what was on board the plane. When the posse led by the local civic committee was denied access to the aircraft, its members began pelting it with rocks. Mr. Suarez said the group managed to make a short video which showed the plane's hold filled with cargo pallets and armed men. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #4 Riberalta is in Bolivia's northern and eastern lowlands Santa Cruz. Thought so. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2007-12-11 18:26 |
| #3 They should be thanking their lucky stars that it was only rocks and not rockets lobbed at the herky-bird....... |
| Posted by: USN,Ret. 2007-12-11 14:02 |
| #2 Hugo's gonna need a dirt nap if he keeps up the mischief |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-12-11 11:42 |
| #1 Hmmm. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-12-11 10:13 |