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Correa and Assange, “two of a kind” writes Nobel Prize Vargas Llosa

Thursday, August 30th 2012 - 04:50 UTC
Full article 47 comments

The Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange are “two of a kind” because of the multiple abuses to freedom of expression committed by both, wrote Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa in one of his weekly columns on current affairs. Read full article

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  • brit abroad

    Ouch!!

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 05:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • bushpilot

    Wow!

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 05:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Idlehands

    He's called that about right - but unfortunately South American governments actually know this. It's not about the rights and wrongs of the Assange case it's about realpolitik and grandstanding on the world stage.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 06:30 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • agent999

    Spot on !!!!

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 07:14 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • brit abroad

    eeeek!

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 07:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • War Monkey

    And we all know how seriously some folk in Latin America take Nobel prize winners don't we?

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 08:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Britworker

    He better be careful, he will be extradited to Ecuador for telling the truth, that's criminal in South America isn't it?

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    This man has hit the nail on the head.

    Assange has been trying to use his notoriety to escape the due process of law, believing that he is above the law unlike UN mere mortals.

    Mr Llosa I support you for your logical, clear thinking.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • agent999

    His biography on wiki makes very interesting reading

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 10:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • JoseAngeldeMonterrey

    Mr. Vargas Llosa has always been on the side of democracy, liberty and against demagoguery and populism.

    He knows what he´s saying. The Assange-Correa affair is nothing but teatricality and deception for the masses.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 11:22 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GALlamosa

    Excellent article. Assange is an alleged sexual predator, and it is for that, and only that, that he is being extradited to Sweden. All those supporting his assylum in Equador are presumably condoning his alleged behaviour towards women.

    The two faced opportunism of Correa and his cronies deserves to be exposed. No doubt Assange closely researched his target before running to the Equadorian embassy. The clumsy handling of the issue by the UK Foreign Office has not helped, but it would have been a great opportunity for a Latam government to stamp down on turning a blind eye to sexual abuse.

    Politics over orinciple.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 11:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • agent999

    Don't forget that Assange interviewed Correa in June for The Julian Assange Show on Russia Today and that was a big joke.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 11:37 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Idlehands

    I love Russia Today and often post on there. It's even nuttier than here.

    I go by the name 'Vikram' because it really stirs up the racial hatred in their demented regulars

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 11:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ElaineB

    @11 I suspect Assange's lawyer Garzon directed him to the Embassy of Ecuador.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 12:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Condorito

    @3 Spot on.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 02:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    It surprises me Mr. Llosa´s take on this matter, while its obvious Assange chose Ecuador´s embassy given Correa´s political actitude towards UK and US, which is part of his political persona along with being intolerant towards mass media, its still quite interesting how his alleged sexual crimes get repeated over and over whithout more info on the circunstances in which he commited those crimes or even the victims testimony in this matter and pov of him being in the embassy.

    Instead of it we read about UK´S over reaction and an attempt invasion on a foreing embassy, a behavour really uncomum from them given embassys in general, from all countries, HAVE to be respected because that rule is the one thing that protects citizens from around the world if they come to have similar problems as that of Assange or even political persecution, even during WWII it wasn´t uncomun for embassys to give refuge to persecuted ppl, that law is important if only because of that, why UK is taking such a risk if this seems to be basically a matter between Swedish justice, Assange and the embassy?

    Even if they dont have a hidden agenda they sure are making it pretty easy to Assange to plead US and UK persecution, and lest say, even if Assange is indeed a narcisistic person that doesn´t automatically make him a liar and guilty of rape, especially given his activities with wikileakes, activities that could show a narcisistic personality from his part but not lies, wikiliakes could be guilty of various things, but liying is not one of them, selective info is more along its lines IMO.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 03:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    @16 - Elena

    Please give us some examples of when the police release all the evidence they have about a suspect prior to charging them with an offence? Becasue as far as I can recall, no police force in the world has ever done it as it may prejudice the case.

    Why should Assange be treated differently to anyone else? Why should he not go through the same due process as any other person?

    Where did Britain overreact? All they did is discuss, confidentially with Ecuador, the different ways this problem could be solved. It was Ecuador who overreacted. At no time did Britain threaten to storm or invade the embassy. That was an Ecuadorian lie. Britain stated that, like any other country, they could revoke the Ecuadorian embassies diplomatic status, and they were offering it as a 'get out of jail card' for Ecuador.

    How do you know that wikileaks 'doesn't lie'? And you seem to be implying that if wikileaks doesn't lie, than Assange can't either. Assange is innocent until proven guilty. Well he still has to go through the same process as every other mere mortal on the planet.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 03:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Condorito

    Elena,
    No one is saying he is guilty, that is why the word rape is always prefixed with “alleged”.

    I also doubt the UK threatened to enter the Ecuadorian embassy, this is just a bit of Correa melodramatics. After all, as you correctly say, they have never done such a thing before under much more serious circumstances.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 03:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • EnginnerAbroad

    Spot on, i must read some more of his work. looks like he would take a very different opionion on many aspects of LATAM history and current political opinion.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • rylang23

    Llosa used to have a voice of reason, but his transformation into a rabid conservative is not unlike a person who becomes a born again christian, and behaves like a zealot.

    ”...the alleged risk/fear that if Assange is handed over to the Swedish justice, the Stockholm government could deliver him to the US “is for the moment a presumption with no basis and has no other purpose than surround the character with an aura of freedom martyrdom, which he certainly does not deserve”.

    Llosa either works for the CIA or hasn't been reading any news these last 12 years.
    He has zero credibility.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    @17
    - I didn´t say that any police in the world declared him guilty, please read my entire message, I said news about the case seemed more focused on his indeed alleged sex crimes than in giving ppl a more informed view on the case, so far I have yet to see them symply interviewing the victims in question.

    -he was given refuge in an embassy, that makes any judicial case more hard given diplomatic laws are in exercise here, this case needs to be resolved between Swedish, UK, and Ecuador embassy, in this instance London police really didn´t have much to do, and that would be the case with any other citizen, IN THEORY, but MEDIA HAS CHOSEN to give him more coverage because he was a public person already.

    - Well, there sure seems to be the first time I ear that, because in this site there are news that seem to appoint to the contrary, London´s police tried to get into the embassy and after they looked for an accord with Ecuador and Swedish justice, and I have seen other UK citizens oppinions that agree with this version of what happened.

    -Wikilieaks usually gets secret documents of goverments out, that means they at least show evidence of what they say, which could mean that at least they provide facts in its affirmations, if you read my message I said they could be accused first of selective info more than on lying.

    -I am not a fan of Assange but here seems to me he is given the treatment any other person would be given if that person asked for refuge in an embassy, I already said this complicates things, it doesn´t mean he is being treated different really, just that he looked for protection in accord with diplomatic laws.

    18 Condorito

    -Please read my entire message, I NEVER said he was being declared guilty.

    - I usudally would agree with you, if this was just affirmed by Correa, but I have seen on others mediums and citizens of UK that this indeed happened, hence why I said UK had an overreaction in this case.

    There is reason to suspect both sides

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ElaineB

    I think the UK sticking to the law is not an overreaction. The UK has no dog in this fight other than to hand over Assange to Sweden. The crap about the UK 'attempting to storm the embassy' is a blatant lie. You just undermined your credibility @ 16.

    If Assange has nothing to hide he has no reason to fear fair justice in a country like Sweden.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GFace

    @ 18

    More likely that it was leaked (HA!) by the staff as a “suggestion” by the staff who want their space and office refrigerator back.

    For a look into the goings on in the Embassy, enjoy 15 minutes of “wicked funny” commentary from Penn Gillette.

    http://pennsundayschool.com/page/episodes

    Go to Episode 27 (Squid Sperm and Gilbert Godfried -- No really! Don't let the topic or guest dissuade you). The fun begins at 5-6 minutes into the episode. Put on headphones or ask the kids to leave the room though due to naughty language.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • rainer

    Elena: As far as anyone in their right mind would make out for the notice sent by the UK government to the Ecuadorian government at the time, the UK indeed threatened forced entry into the embassy for the purpose of arresting Julian Assange. There is no question about that. Now of course the UK have reverted their stance.

    Regarding the above article, who cares what the novelist and Nobel Price winner Vargas Llosa thinks. He just doesn't seem to have got all the facts.

    Perhaps Julian Assange should have been given the Nobel Price for Peace, not Barack Obama.

    I recommend for anyone to watch “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c57a33_MCwc
    This is only a trailer, I could not find the full length version on YouTube.

    Minus the sex-allegations, the Assange situation is strikingly similar.

    If it wasn't for Daniel Ellsberg revealing secret documents and unlocking the truths that the American public had been led into a war by a lie in that they were under attack in the first place the US would surely have continued their meaningless war on Vietnam for another decade, where of course not only thousands of US servicemen died unnecessarily, but also millions of Vietnamese, partly courtesy of chemical warfare en masse by the US (Agent Orange).

    I also recommend watching Sex, Lies and Julian Assange by Four Corners:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c57a33_MCwc
    It appears that the Swedish prosecutor misappropriated their use of law by issuing an Interpol red alert arrest warrant for so called 'consensual sex'. What also appears interesting is that the prosecutor is reportedly a sympathizer of the US and the former Bush administration. There may or may not be an explicit CIA conspiracy at hand, but it certainly seems that the Swedish prosecutor/government are using the sex allegations for a covert purpose, whatever their motives, political opinion, belief in a more closed society etc.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    24 rainer: Thanks for clearing that matter.

    22

    Sorry but evidence is agaist your affirmations, and I dont really care much if my credibility has been damaged at your eyes really, the credibility of any person can´t be determined just because some ppl dont like what that person said, it depends on others to believe a not a person given their imediate info and circunstance but credility itself can´t be determined by just ONE person.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 05:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Gordo1

    Elena - your posts contain a total misunderstanding of all aspects of the Assange “epic”. First of all, Ecuador has afforded him “diplomatic” asylum which is not recognised outside of Latin America. Second, he is required to present himself before a judicial tribunal in Sweden in order to clarify the alleged rape accusations against him - Sweden have issued a European Arrest Warrant against him and Britain, according to rules of the European Union, is obliged to extradite him to that country. Third, he appealed the order of extradition by appealing to British justice all the way to the Supreme Court and this was denied. Therefore, unless he volunteers to go willingly to Sweden, he will be arrested by the British police and handed over to the Swedish authorities. This process has nothing to do with Wikileaks and all to do alleged acts of Assange against two women in Sweden.
    Correa and Patiño have behaved dishonourably in their efforts to out-Chávez and out-Castro Messrs Chávez and Castro. Correa wants to be leader of ALBA!
    I agree 100% with my friend, Mario Vargas Llosa - Latin America would be a much better place if there were leaders like him. Bravo!

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 05:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Furry-Fat-Feck

    @21 Elena (#)
    Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:33 pm

    Conversley, when addressing his public Mr Assange does not mention his alleged sex crimes at all. Perhaps somebody has to?

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 06:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ElaineB

    @25 Oh, please present your evidence that the UK police attempted to stormed the Ecuadorian embassy because you are the only person with that evidence.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 06:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Condorito

    Elena:
    “ so far I have yet to see them symply interviewing the victims in question. ”
    The media interviewing alleged victims would preclude a fair trial in most countries.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 06:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    @26 and 28
    “Under international law, security forces across the world are not allowed to enter an embassy without the express permission of the ambassador – even though the embassy remains the territory of the host nation. The 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations codified the ”rule of inviolability“, which all nations observe because their own diplomatic missions are otherwise at risk elsewhere.

    However, the Foreign Office told Ecuador that it had the power to revoke the embassy's diplomatic status under the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987. This act was passed by Parliament in the wake of the Libyan embassy crisis three years before, when PC Yvonne Fletcher was shot dead from inside the embassy.

    Such a step might set a dangerous precedent by encouraging other governments to justify entering embassies to arrest dissidents seeking diplomatic asylum.”http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/16/julian-assange-ecuador @28: I dont argue that UK country has the right to put conditions to embassys but this seems like they are forcing a situation that could perfectly be resolved at a diplomatic level. That is all I am saying.

    @27 I didn´t question the fact that he was being alleged of a sexual crime, I question why the media wasn´t providing more info on the case given they are yet to even interview the victims, victims that I would think would be pretty interested in Assange present situation.

    @26
    Its probable Correa wanst to improve his political standing, but sorry ALBA is a group inside Latam, there are a lot others policital filiations and ideologies and really this doesn´t have much to do with the case of Assange.

    Llosa is an author I like and I undesrtand he is symply giving his oppinion in base of his political ideology which obviously puts him in conflict with the ALBA presidents, for the record I dont like them that much either, but in this instance I dont agree with him. I do agree he could be a good stateman.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 06:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    @30 - Elena

    You say “I didn´t question the fact that he was being alleged of a sexual crime, I question why the media wasn´t providing more info on the case given they are yet to even interview the victims, victims that I would think would be pretty interested in Assange present situation.”

    Well it's not the medias responsibility to investigate this crime, they just report news. It is the responsibility of the police in the country which a crime has been allegedly committed to investigate. In this case the Swedish police.

    They seem to be hampered in this investigation by Mr Assange and by the Ecuadorian government. It is illegal under international law to grant asylum to people accused of crimes. Therefore Ecuador is already in breach of this law.

    Assange has accused the USA of hounding him and that they plan to extradite him from Sweden, a plot in which the Swedish government are allegedly involved. Yet Mr Assange, with all his access to wikileaks and their sources has not been able to produce one shred of evidence of this alleged conspiracy in the 2 years he's been appealing against his extradition to Sweden from the UK.

    That looks suspicious to me. Almost like he believes he's above the law unlike the rest of us mere mortals.

    Regarding your post @21 - you seem to have completely misread or misunderstood everything I wrote.

    I asked you to provide some evidence of cases where the police released all the evidence they had to the world before they had even charged a suspect, in reply to your post @16 where you said “its still quite interesting how his alleged sexual crimes get repeated over and over whithout more info on the circunstances in which he commited those crimes or even the victims testimony in this matter.”

    Well he's wanted for those alleged sexual crimes, that is why they are the focus. It is up to the police to investigate whether there is enough evidence to bring charges, not up to public opinion.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 06:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Furry-Fat-Feck

    30 Elena (#)
    Aug 30th, 2012 - 06:27 pm

    @27 I didn´t question the fact that he was being alleged of a sexual crime, I question why the media wasn´t providing more info on the case given they are yet to even interview the victims, victims that I would think would be pretty interested in Assange present situation.

    Two points here Elena. 1) You do not divulge the details of an allegation only a brief outline. If anybody who knows the full details of what Mr Assange is being accused of and then divulges them to the press for all to see they too would be arrested. You just don't do that, it is against the law in the UK and Sweden and I assume many other countries too. Why do you demand these details? To get these details legally and be able to publish them would require a change in the law in a number of countries. You wouldn't do that for anybody else, what makes Mr Assange so special? 2) It is my belief that Mr Assange's supporters assume his innocence with regard to his alleged sex crime the rest of us are assuming nothing at all.

    We are just wondering why Mr Assange is trying to avoid due process because his allegation that the Swedish authorities would just render him into US custody out of hand do not stand up to scrutiny.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 07:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    Under international law, refugees are individuals who:
    are outside their country of nationality or habitual residence;
    have a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; andare unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.

    I guess the problem comes when he solicited asylum under the perception that he was being persecuted, and even has been shown cooperative to get under Swedish justice system only if he is assured that he will not be extradited. That is why I said entering an embassy complicates matters because he is invoking a diplomatic law and UK is invoking the judicial law of its soil, Swedish could very well be the only neutral party that could put some light in this situation. and yet this doesn´t explain UK conduct towards the embassy.

    I previously said, this situation looks suspiciuos from both sides of the conflict, if Assange effectively broke international law by seeking asylum on a foreing embassy then this needs to be resolved at diplomatic levels, but there is a need of a neutral party on the conflict.

    I understand is not media responsibility to investigate a case, but it just seemed strange to me that we have ear so little about the conditions and ciscuntances under which he comited those crimes, usually when media infroms on a crime comited by someone they focus on what indeed supposely happened, and even when its requiered to hide names, it at least gives a global idea of what was going on, but so far, most of the news I heve seen on this case focus more on the diplomatic side of the conflict between UK and Ecuador and their respective pov´s, but really this is just a perception I have.

    Condorito

    I didn´t know that, glad to learn about it, but this preclude a victim to give an oppinion on something not entierely related to the case but on their offender fate?

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 07:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Furry-Fat-Feck

    @33 Elena (#)
    Aug 30th, 2012 - 07:29 pm

    The UKs conduct toward the Ecuadorian embassy has been by the book and diplomatic. The threat to storm it is an Ecuadorian lie. You don't believe it, I know that, fair enough, there is no point bringing it up again because neither of us will convince the other. We might just as well drop it.

    No country can make any promise NOT to extradite somebody. If there is a reasonable case to do so then that case has to be considered. No exceptions, not even for Julian Assange even if he is Christ Returned. You and I don't make these laws up and it will take more than just our gut feelings to countermand them.

    And how can running away from the Swedish judicial system ever be regarded as co-operating with it?

    And I repeat, you will not get the full details of an alleged crime until it has been fully investigated, prosecuted or formally dismissed. It doesn't work like that, just how much evidence do you require before you will agree that Julian Assange must answer these charges in accordance with Swedish law instead of hiding away from it?

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 08:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • rainer

    31 LEPRecon said:
    “... It is illegal under international law to grant asylum to people accused of crimes. Therefore Ecuador is already in breach of this law.”

    As far as I understand Assange was not technically accused of a crime at the time of entering the embassy and that he is still only wanted for questioning, for which the red Interpool alert arrest warrant was originally raised. Maybe the only crime he has committed to-date, apart from spilling dirty war-secrets of corrupt governments, is now that of breaking his UK bail terms.

    Then there's a question two women who both had an affair with the same man days apart and the alleged sexual misconduct or 'consensual rape' as I would define it. Does it really require an Interpool International red alert procedure, otherwise reserved to terrorists, those who endanger the public, including real rapists? The laywer now working on behalf of the two women claim it's only a rape case, no hidden agenda, but given the weight the Interpool arrest warrant, it remains difficult to believe other factors are not involved. Apparently, one of the women had previously published a guide on how to get revenge on ex-boyfriends.... And who is paying for the high-profile lawyer? Has the Swedish justice system perhaps in the process become twisted to the point of proving that there actually is a valid case, so as to distort a real course of justice? Why can't the Swedish government simply provide a guarantee that Assange will not be extradited further? It's a special case that require non-standard procedures in order to solve it.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 08:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    we could as well agree to disagree, then, because we dont really know how he was running away from Swedish justice after comiting a crime by entering an embassy in UK, there could have happened something in between, I really think what is needed is a neutral party to look things over because both acusations: Sexual crime and Political persecution are not to take lightly, and is neccesary to get clear what is happening.

    And I do believe London police tried to get into the embassy ot at least is attemping to, otherwise it would not be trying to get an exception on international law to enter the building. www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/16/julian-assange-ecuador

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 08:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Furry-Fat-Feck

    @36 Elena (#)
    Aug 30th, 2012 - 08:41 pm

    But Elena. There is evidence that a crime may have been committed. There is no evidence whatsoever of political persecution. There is only an assumption by Mr Assange's supporters.

    How can we find Sweden, the USA and the UK (who are only playing piggy in the middle anyway) guilty of political persecution when there is no evidence of it? Yet at the same time find Mr Assange innocent of a sexual crime even though there is evidence to suggest that he might actually be guilty of it? Do we still believe in the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'? Are we abandoning that principle or not? Please make your mind up because we all have to play by the same rules and if you don't like them we can't change them over night and we would be lucky to see them applied retrospectively.

    So which is it to be?

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    @35 - Rainer

    Assange broke his bail conditions, that is a crime, so yes the Ecuadorians ARE assisting a fugitive to escape due process.

    He is NOT a refugee. He is NOT being sought regarding political beliefs. He has appealed his extradition for nearly 2 years and lost each appeal. So in order to escape the Swedish authorities he breaks UK law and enters the Ecuadorian embassy.

    So Ecuador is already misusing it's premises, and Britain is under no obligation to let Assange go.

    @36 - Elena

    Why should Assange be treated any different from anyone else accused of a crime? Why do you think he should be allowed to circumnavigate due process? Why should this be anyone's business but Swedens?

    This is Sweden. Sweden who have protected wikileaks from the beginning. Sweden with one of the best human rights records in the world. What right do you, or anyone else for that matter, have to interfer with an ongoing investigation into an alleged serious crime that took place on Swedish soil against Swedish nationals?

    And regards to your last statement. That has already been proved to be a lie, perpetrated by Assange, no less. There were policemen in the building, but only as part of their normal duties. The Ecuadorians only have a couple of rooms in that building, and the police officers (as part of their NORMAL protection duties) were in the lobby.

    Assange then made up some story about how they'd tried to get into the Ecuadorian embassy, which has been refuted by the other residents of the building, diplomatic staff from other countries diplomatic missions.

    Assange lying! Whatever next? Wikileaks lying perhaps?

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Musky

    A great article, well said mr Llosa.

    Assange is not the messiah he's a very naughty boy!

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    But my mind is the same, I suspect of both sides because both have behaved strange, for example:

    “A subsequent offer by Ecuador to allow Swedish investigators to interview Mr Assange inside the embassy was rejected.

    The Wikileaks website Mr Assange founded published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly that of the US, in 2010.

    Mr Assange says he fears that if extradited to Sweden, he will then be passed on to the American authorities.

    In 2010, two female ex-Wikileaks volunteers accused Mr Assange of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.

    Mr Assange claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19281492

    Why would Swedish autorities reject talking with Assange inside Ecuador´s embassy without the need of a extradition so they can solve the case or at least get a clearer idea of it?

    He could very well be guilty or innocent, as US and UK, but to clear things out there is necesary a third independent party, IMO. that is my mind.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Furry-Fat-Feck

    @40 Elena (#)
    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:44 pm

    “A subsequent offer by Ecuador to allow Swedish investigators to interview Mr Assange inside the embassy was rejected.

    Elena. It is not up to Mr Assange to dictate to Sweden how they conduct their investigation. The alleged crime took place on Swedish soil against Swedish nationals so any investigation needs to take place in Sweden. Also the Swedes don't just want to interview him, they want to arrest him.

    “The Wikileaks website Mr Assange founded published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that embarrassed several governments, particularly that of the US, in 2010.”

    There are more than just Julian Assange working for Wikileaks. How come the US haven't gone after anybody else there?

    “Mr Assange says he fears that if extradited to Sweden, he will then be passed on to the American authorities.”

    There is no evidence that tis will happen.

    You are going over the same old ground. “You are stuck in the moment and you can't get out of it” to quote Bono Vox and Mr Assange will eventually face his accusers in Sweden and he may well be found not guilty. No doubt about it he cannot use these excuses to evade justice for ever.

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    I dont have anything agaist Assange being jugded in Sweden, if that is how it all ends, mind you, and yes, it would be better if we let this in peace :)

    Aug 30th, 2012 - 10:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • DanyBerger

    Some one is desperate to sale a book here...

    Aug 31st, 2012 - 04:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Captain Poppy

    I think not. A Nobel prize Laureate gets 10 million kroner, roughly 1.5 million us dollars, or 6.9 million pesos.....this week.

    Aug 31st, 2012 - 08:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Gordo1

    Elena - you are seeing conspiracies where there are none. It suits Assange(and Correa and Patíño) for there to APPEAR to be conspiracies where there are none - it just muddies the water a bit more.

    The behaviour of Assange, Correa and, worst of all, Patiño is appalling.

    Sep 01st, 2012 - 06:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Elena

    well, I didnt really try to mean there was a conspirancy, and even, from all political autors Correa is curiously the only one who is acting like he is supposely to, given his political ideology, the other parties are the ones that, to my perception, are acting suspiciously or at least strangly, that is why I suggested a third inpartial and neutral party that could help clear things out. But mind you, that is only my oppinion, is not nean to force anyone else to change theirs, and this is a forum of oppinion about news after all.

    Sep 01st, 2012 - 09:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • British_Kirchnerist

    If I were Assange or Correa I would take this comparison as a compliment =)

    Sep 08th, 2012 - 01:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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