Latin American countries offer Snowden asylum
Source: Agencies |
July 7, 2013, Sunday
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THE quest by NSA leaker Edward Snowden for a safe haven has taken a turn toward Latin America, with offers for asylum coming from the presidents of Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Bolivian President Evo Morales says Snowden is welcome in his country. He said yesterday he is making the offer as a protest against the US and European nations he accuses of temporarily blocking his flight home from a Moscow summit because they suspected his might have Snowden on board.
Morales follows Presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua in making the offer. Morales earlier said he was willing to consider asylum for Snowden, the same position taken by Ecuador, which is another of Bolivia's leftist Latin American allies.
Morales says he has not yet received a formal petition for asylum from Snowden.
Declaring Bolivia has "no fear" of the US and its European allies, Morales said he would be willing "to give asylum to the American, if he asks."
The offers came after leftist South American leaders gathered to denounce the rerouting of Morales' plane over Europe amid reports that the fugitive American was aboard.
Snowden, who is being sought by the United States, has asked for asylum in more than 20 countries, including Nicaragua and Venezuela. Many another nations have turned him down.
Maduro said: "As head of state, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American Edward Snowden so that he can live in the homeland" of independence leader Simon Bolivar and the late President Hugo Chavez without "persecution from the empire," referring to the United States.
Maduro said several other Latin American governments have also expressed their intention of taking a similar stance by offering asylum for the cause of "dignity."
Chavez, who hand-picked Maduro as his successor, often engaged in similar defiance, criticizing US-style capitalism and policies. In a 2006 speech to the UN General Assembly of world leaders, Chavez called President George W. Bush the devil, saying the podium reeked of sulfur after the US president's address. He also accused Washington of plotting against him, expelled several diplomats and drug-enforcement agents and threatened to stop sending oil to the US.
Maduro made the asylum offer during a speech marking the anniversary of Venezuela's independence. It was not immediately clear if there were any conditions to Venezuela's offer.
Asked earlier this week about the possibility that any countries in the region would offer Snowden asylum, Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America think tank, said that he thought Ortega would be careful not to damage his country's relationship with the US
"Ortega has been tremendously successful at exploiting both the ALBA relationship and the US relationship," Thale said, referring to the ALBA leftist trade bloc that provides Nicaragua with petroleum subsidies. Although Ortega is publicly seen as anti-American, "Nicaragua and the US cooperate very closely on drug interdiction and the US and Nicaraguan militaries work very closely, too," Thale said before the asylum offer was made.
Ortega said on Friday he was willing to make the same asylum offer "if circumstances allow it," although he didn't say what those circumstances would be.
Bolivian President Evo Morales says Snowden is welcome in his country. He said yesterday he is making the offer as a protest against the US and European nations he accuses of temporarily blocking his flight home from a Moscow summit because they suspected his might have Snowden on board.
Morales follows Presidents Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua in making the offer. Morales earlier said he was willing to consider asylum for Snowden, the same position taken by Ecuador, which is another of Bolivia's leftist Latin American allies.
Morales says he has not yet received a formal petition for asylum from Snowden.
Declaring Bolivia has "no fear" of the US and its European allies, Morales said he would be willing "to give asylum to the American, if he asks."
The offers came after leftist South American leaders gathered to denounce the rerouting of Morales' plane over Europe amid reports that the fugitive American was aboard.
Snowden, who is being sought by the United States, has asked for asylum in more than 20 countries, including Nicaragua and Venezuela. Many another nations have turned him down.
Maduro said: "As head of state, the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American Edward Snowden so that he can live in the homeland" of independence leader Simon Bolivar and the late President Hugo Chavez without "persecution from the empire," referring to the United States.
Maduro said several other Latin American governments have also expressed their intention of taking a similar stance by offering asylum for the cause of "dignity."
Chavez, who hand-picked Maduro as his successor, often engaged in similar defiance, criticizing US-style capitalism and policies. In a 2006 speech to the UN General Assembly of world leaders, Chavez called President George W. Bush the devil, saying the podium reeked of sulfur after the US president's address. He also accused Washington of plotting against him, expelled several diplomats and drug-enforcement agents and threatened to stop sending oil to the US.
Maduro made the asylum offer during a speech marking the anniversary of Venezuela's independence. It was not immediately clear if there were any conditions to Venezuela's offer.
Asked earlier this week about the possibility that any countries in the region would offer Snowden asylum, Geoff Thale, program director at the Washington Office on Latin America think tank, said that he thought Ortega would be careful not to damage his country's relationship with the US
"Ortega has been tremendously successful at exploiting both the ALBA relationship and the US relationship," Thale said, referring to the ALBA leftist trade bloc that provides Nicaragua with petroleum subsidies. Although Ortega is publicly seen as anti-American, "Nicaragua and the US cooperate very closely on drug interdiction and the US and Nicaraguan militaries work very closely, too," Thale said before the asylum offer was made.
Ortega said on Friday he was willing to make the same asylum offer "if circumstances allow it," although he didn't say what those circumstances would be.
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