A video released by the world press, shows that the CIA and the Peruvian armed forces shoot down a plane in wich an American family traveled, killing the mother and her baby of seven months.

The aircraft was carrying Jim and Veronica Bowers and their children Cory, six, and adopted baby Charity, who were returning from a trip to Brazil on 20 April 2001. Mrs Bowers and Charity were killed.

Although the Peruvians issued a warning, the pilot of the missionaries’ plane was on a different frequency and could not hear it. CIA officers also expressed serious doubts that the people they were shadowing were drug dealers.

The video has caused renewed accusations that the CIA lied to Congress and covered up its role in the deaths.

The CIA said that its nine-year investigation had determined that 16 CIA employees should be disciplined, including the woman who was in charge of counter-narcotics at the time. In a statement, the agency appeared to blame the shoot-down on the Peruvian Air Force.

“The program to deny drug traffickers an ‘air bridge’ ended in 2001 and was run by a foreign government,” the CIA said in a statement. “CIA personnel had no authority either to direct or prohibit actions by that government. CIA officers did not shoot down any airplane. In the case of the tragic downing of April 21, 2001, [sic] CIA personnel protested the identification of the missionary plane as a suspect drug trafficker.

“This was a tragic episode that the Agency has dealt with in a professional and thorough manner. Unfortunately, some have been willing to twist facts to imply otherwise. In so doing, they do a tremendous disservice to CIA officers, serving and retired, who have risked their lives for America’s national security.”