Guadalajara -
In Managua today Nicaraguan president José Daniel Ortega Saavedra said his country is ready to grant political asylum to former NSA security contractor Edward Snowden "if circumstances permit."
"We're very open to the idea, and we respect his right to seek asylum. If conditions allow us to receive Mr. Snowden, of course, we'd gladly accept him here in Nicaragua," said the president.
Ortega confirmed that Nicaragua's embassy in Moscow has received a formal request for asylum from Snowden's team of Wikileaks legal advisers. "Yes, we've got a letter from him."
Snowden's letter, dated June 30, is here.
Ortega did not indicate whether his government might issue temporary travel documents to Snowden, enabling him to leave the Moscow airport where he has remained since June 23. The U.S. State Dept. revoked Snowden's passport last month, effectively trapping him in the Russian capital.
Less than two weeks ago Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa appeared to be openly soliciting Snowden. But he has cooled considerably on the subject, saying on June 29 that his country cannot consider an asylum petition unless and until the American arrives in Quito. Ecuador has revoked temporary travel documents authorized to Snowden by its ambassador to Great Britain last month, saying the papers should not have been granted. Biden enters Snowden fray, amid uncertainty in Moscow. On Monday Correa warned Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, an outspoken champion for Snowden who urged him to seek refuge in Ecuador, to remain silent on the case. Assange is a virtual prisoner in Ecuador's London embassy, trying to avoid his own deportation to Sweden where he faces criminal sexual assault charges. Correa to Assange: ¡Cállate!
Yesterday Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro quickly rebuffed an American request to extradite Snowden should the fugitive contractor show up in Caracas. Nicolás Maduro rejects U.S. request on Edward Snowden. At national independence festivities today Maduro offered Snowden "humanitarian asylum".
News sources reported today that Snowden's team may have asylum petitions pending with as many as 27 nations.
July 8 - Edward Snowden's petition to Nicaragua released
July 7 - Edward Snowden: Washington's massive miscalculation
July 6 - Bolivia joins the crowd: Morales offers Snowden asylum
NSA headquarters, outside Washington, D.C.
© MGRR 2013. All rights reserved. This article may be cited or briefly quoted with proper attribution or a hyperlink, but not reproduced without permission.
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