Edward Snowden given possible lifeline as Bolivia hints it would grant asylum
Evo Morales says his country is keen to 'shield the denounced' as Snowden's father Lon compares son to Paul Revere
Vladimir Putin and Evo Morales met on Tuesday. Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
As other options began to fade for Snowden, trapped in the transit zone of a Moscow airport, Bolivian president Evo Morales said his country was keen to "shield the denounced".
Snowden's father, meanwhile, stepped up the rhetoric in favour of his son's actions on Tuesday, publishing an open letter that compared him to colonial independence fighter Paul Revere.
The letter was signed by Lon Snowden and his lawyer, Bruce Fein, who also reported receiving a phone call from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Fein told the Associated Press that Assange, in the phone call on Saturday, delivered what he said was a message from Snowden to his father, asking him to keep quiet.
Speaking in Moscow, Morales said Bolivia had not received a formal application for asylum from Snowden yet, but hinted it would consider any request favourably.
"If there were a request, of course we would be willing to debate and consider the idea," Morales told RT Actualidad, the Spanish-language service of Russian broadcaster RT.
"I know that the empires have an espionage network and are against the so-called developing countries. And in particular, against those which are rich in natural resources," he added.
His comments were echoed by favourable noises from the Venezuelan government, another possible exit route for the former NSA contractor. President Nicolas Maduro said Caracas was also ready to consider Snowden's asylum should he ask for it.
Maduro said Snowden should be given a "humanitarian medal" for revealing details of NSA surveillance programmes on US and foreign citizens. "He did not kill anyone and did not plant a bomb," Maduro told Russia's Interfax news agency. "What he did was tell a great truth in an effort to prevent wars. He deserves protection under international and humanitarian law."
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Edward Snowden asylum: Bolivian president's plane diverted – live
France
and Portugal refused to let Evo Morales's plane cross their airspace
because of suspicions that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was on board,
Bolivia's foreign minister says
My colleague Helen Davidson has just been on the phone with general aviation staff at Vienna international airport.
Staff confirmed that the plane carrying Morales has landed there, and has not left. They said they were unable to say how many passengers were on board as they were not given a passenger list.
Staff confirmed that the plane carrying Morales has landed there, and has not left. They said they were unable to say how many passengers were on board as they were not given a passenger list.
My colleague in Washington Dan Roberts has just filed this report, which summarises the events so far.
He has also just spoken to White House officials, asking for their response to claims made by the Bolivian defence minister that Portugal's decision to refuse Morales' plane access to their airspace was influenced by the US.
White House officials say that these are questions for the Austrian and Portugese authorities to answer.
He has also just spoken to White House officials, asking for their response to claims made by the Bolivian defence minister that Portugal's decision to refuse Morales' plane access to their airspace was influenced by the US.
White House officials say that these are questions for the Austrian and Portugese authorities to answer.
Updated
Background
President Morales was returning to Bolivia from Russia where he had
met with president Vladimir Putin at a summit of major gas exporters in
the Kremlin.
Speaking to RT Actualidad, the Spanish-language service of the Russian broadcaster Russia Today, Morales said Bolivia had not received an asylum request from Edward Snowden, but hinted any request would be looked at favourably.
He said:
Speaking to RT Actualidad, the Spanish-language service of the Russian broadcaster Russia Today, Morales said Bolivia had not received an asylum request from Edward Snowden, but hinted any request would be looked at favourably.
He said:
If there were a request, of course we would be willing to debate and consider the idea.
I know that the empires have an espionage network and are against the so-called developing countries. And in particular, against those which are rich in natural resources.
Updated
Associated Press has published extracts from a statement issued by
the Bolivian defence minister, Ruben Saavedra, who was also on the
redirected plane.
It says the plane was allowed to land in Spain for refueling before flying on to Austria.
It describes the rerouting as a "hostile act" by the US goverment:
It says the plane was allowed to land in Spain for refueling before flying on to Austria.
It describes the rerouting as a "hostile act" by the US goverment:
This is a hostile act by the United States State Department which has used various European governments
Updated
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Bolivian presidential plane forced to land in Austria over suspicions Snowden on board
Edited time: July 03, 2013 00:31
Snowden had requested asylum from Bolivia, which has yet to answer; he also petitioned Austria but was rejected. Reports indicated the plane was hindered in navigating Western Europe as France and Portugal would not allow the La Paz-bound plane to enter their airspace.
David Choquehuanca, the Bolivian Foregin Minister, refuted the idea Snowden was on the plane, saying “we don’t know who invited this lie, but we want to denounce to the international community this injustice with the plane of President Evo Morales.”
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Edward Snowden asylum: countries approached and their responses
The NSA whistleblower has made 21 applications for asylum worldwide as he flees the US – with little success
Edward Snowden has made 21 applications for asylum. Photograph: The Guardian/Reuters
Austria
No. The interior minister, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, said Snowden would have to submit his request for asylum while on Austrian soil. But she added that he would not be deported if he arrived in Austria because "there is no international arrest warrant".Bolivia
Possible. President Evo Morales said no application has been received, but if it were it would be considered. "If there were a request, of course we would be willing to debate and consider the idea," Morales told Spanish language RT Actualidad.Brazil
No. A foreign ministry spokesman said Brazil would not grant asylum, adding that it would leave the request unanswered.China
No response.Cuba
No response.Ecuador
No. The president, Rafael Correa, said he was not considering Snowden's asylum request. In an interview with the Guardian, Correa said Snowden would have to reach Ecuadorean territory before the country would consider any asylum request. The US has cancelled Snowden's passport, and Correa said his government would not give Snowden an authorised travel document to extract himself from Moscow airport. "The right of asylum request is one thing, but helping someone travel from one country to another – Ecuador has never done this."Finland
No. The Finnish foreign ministry spokeswoman Tytti Pylkkö said Finnish law required Snowden to be in the country for him to apply.France
No response. The president, François Hollande, has called for a common EU stance on the NSA snooping.Read More Here
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