Ecuador yet to decide on Edward Snowden asylum

Amidst the rising tension between Ecuador and US over former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Ecuador’s president Rafael Correa said that the country has not yet decided on Snowden’s ‘fugitive asylum’.

“You request asylum when you are on a country’s territory. Snowden is not on Ecuadoran territory, so technically we cannot even process the asylum request,” Correa told reporters on Thursday.

“Would he be allowed to arrive on Ecuadoran territory? This is something that, in principle, we haven’t considered,” he said.  “We would probably examine it, but for now he is in Russia,” he added.

Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, however, claimed that Ecuador has given Snowden a “refugee document of passage” that would allow him to travel there.

Meanwhile Washington warned Ecuador against processing US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden’s ‘fugitive asylum’. Ecuador said it will not bow down against US “blackmail”.

US State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell said if Ecuador granted Snowden asylum then it would generate “grave difficulties for our bilateral relationship.”

“If they take that step, that would have very negative repercussions,” Ventrell added.

The 30-year-old former NSA computer specialist, Edward Snowden revealed a massive US surveillance program last week through WikiLeaks and staying at the Moscow airport’s terminal since Sunday.

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