MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Assange claims UK police tried to enter Ecuadorean embassy last Wednesday

The embassy is surrounded by a heavy display of police and patrol cars

Speaking on Sunday in front of the condor of the Ecuadorean coat of arms on the white balcony railing of the embassy in London, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange thanked President Rafael Correa and Ecuador's diplomats, whom he praised for standing up against oppression, but also revealed the police tried to break in last Wednesday.

“The sun came up on a different world and a courageous Latin American nation took a stand for justice,” Assange said from the balcony.

Assange's attempt to escape extradition has touched off a diplomatic tussle between Britain and Ecuador, which accused London of threatening to raid its embassy and casting the dispute as an arrogant European power treating a Latin American nation like a colony.

Assange, who praised a dozen Latin American countries, including Argentina, which he said had rallied against Britain in the dispute, said the United States was at a turning point which could drag the rest of the world into a new oppressive era

Julian Assange revealed on Sunday that the British police tried last Wednesday to break into the Ecuadorean embassy but they finally desisted because of the presence of followers and the media that have been camping outside the premises since he was granted political asylum by the administration of President Rafael Correa.

From the balcony of the embassy in London where he has taken refuge Assange said he was grateful to the media and followers because they have become the “eyes of the world”.

“I heard a team from the police that entered the premises through the emergency exit of the embassy, but they knew there would be many witnesses”, said the founder of Wikileaks adding that thanks to the media, “the world is closely following events”.

“If the other night the UK didn’t dump the Vienna convention it is because the world is looking on”, insisted Assange

The Australian born Assange thanked the brave Latinamerican country of Ecuador for having “stood up for justice and freedom of expression” and made his comments extensive to the Ecuadorean people and President Rafael Correa for having granted him political asylum.

He also asked for the liberation of the US soldier Bradley Manning who is jailed and faces court martial for having filtered military secrets and called him “a hero and an example for all of us”.