Snowden gets Venezuela, Nicaragua asylum offers -- My Way News (AP)

[bsteadman]

Snowden gets Venezuela, Nicaragua asylum offers


My Way News
Fabiola Sanchez and Luis Manuel Galeano
7/6/2013

Excerpt:

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - 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 leftist presidents of Nicaragua and Venezuela.

But there were no immediate signs that efforts were underway to bring him to either nation after Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua made their offers during separate speeches in their home countries Friday.

The offers came one day after leftist South American leaders gathered to denounce the rerouting of Bolivian President Evo 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.
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View the complete article at:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130706/DA7BU2OG2.html

[bsteadman]

Venezuela, Nicaragua Talk Asylum for Edward Snowden, but Could He Get There?

Venezuela, Nicaragua Talk Asylum for Edward Snowden, but Could He Get There?

ABC News
Kirit Radia, Moscow
7/5/2013

Excerpt:

Venezuela and Nicaragua reportedly are prepared to throw Edward Snowden a lifeline -- if he can get there.

The accused NSA leaker has been stuck in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremedevo International Airport for nearly two weeks, with no way to enter Russia, no valid U.S. passport to travel on because the United States revoked it, and no route to safe haven that avoids a U.S. extradition treaty.

Most of his applications for asylum in more than two dozen countries have been rejected, but now he may have options.

"I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American Edward Snowden," Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said Friday evening, adding that he was doing so, "in the name of the dignity of Latin America."

"He can come and live here, away from the persecution of American imperialism," Maduro said.

Just an hour earlier, Nicaragua offered what appeared to be conditional asylum.

"If the circumstances permit it, we would gladly receive Snowden here and would grant him asylum here," Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega said on Friday.

He did not elaborate on what those circumstances would be.
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View the complete article, including video, at:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...0#.Udgtt23ueSr