Venezuela, Nicaragua Offer Assylum to Snowden

Local Editor

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has offered to grant "humanitarian asylum" to US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

"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 (without)... persecution from the [American] empire," Maduro said, during a speech commemorating the anniversary of the Bolivarian Republic's independence on Friday.
"Snowden is a young man who has told the truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the United States spying on the whole world,"Maduro added.
Minutes before Maduro's offer, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega also said his country would grant Snowden political asylum "if circumstances permit" it.
Snowden, a former CIA employee, has been holed up at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport since June 23, when he traveled from Hong Kong to avoid extradition to the US.
He has already sought asylum in 20 countries, namely China, India, Cuba, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, France, Germany and Iceland.

Washington has asked these countries not to provide asylum to Snowden. The White House also declined to comment on the Venezuelan offer.
Snowden revealed two top secret US government spying programs, under which the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have been spying on a global scale. Not only that, but also Snowden revealed information about US espionage activities targeting countries friendly to the US.

Source: News Agencies, edited by website team