MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Venezuela confirms Snowden asylum application: he has to decide when
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said his government has received an asylum application from US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden and the fugitive must now decide if he wants to fly to Caracas. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesOnce again, latam shows the their true nature and cannot distinguish prosecution from persecution. I really hope he ends there.......pack your stock up on your ruskie toilet paper Ed and do not forget your flak jacket.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 10:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0Is Maduro about to cut off his nose to spite his face? The United States is Venezuela's most important trading partner!
Jul 09th, 2013 - 11:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0Snowden must be in the depths of despair. Would be like setting yourself up to go to Oxford or Cambridge and ended up only getting a place at Grimsby college.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 01:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Tricky Nicky's first words to Eddie when he arrives will probably be that his new job will be to teach his people how to spy on Venezuelans.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 01:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 03
Jul 09th, 2013 - 01:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If you are wealthy and well connected, life in Venezuela is good.
4 lol
How's he gonna get there? blue Bird Airline?
Jul 09th, 2013 - 02:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 06 RC
Jul 09th, 2013 - 03:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This is where it gets interesting....I wonder if the Cubans will be able to pull a few strings in Russia?
RC there is suspicion that he is already in SA.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 03:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I understand the Russians will not allow Snowdon to board a flight to Havana, which would be the most direct route.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 03:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Sorry, forgot about the Havana connection.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 03:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0That's it then, accept their offer and he is home and free.
Well free maybe, but not exactly home and unlikely to be for the rest of his life.
For what?
Five minutes of fame, for telling people something that they were not in the slightest bit surprised to hear.
Mans a plank!
Frying pan and fire come to mind! What nonsense!
Jul 09th, 2013 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Just pick a likely aircraft and shoot it down. No-one in the world gives a toss about Snowden. Just kill him!
Jul 09th, 2013 - 04:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Nah, sod him, let him try to earn a living comparable to the one he was living in the US, in Venezuala.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 04:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They may give a pension for life of course, his parents could always send him comfort parcels. Mind you, paper is heavy!
Wonder what the postage would be on a dozen toilet rolls?
@12, that is illegal and plain wrong...
Jul 09th, 2013 - 05:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There will of course be a price for his asylum. Just being able to wave him around like a picket sign to rail against the Big Bad Norte isn't going to cut it. With Assange, I think it's obvious that Ecuador has bought Wikileaks silence on any leaking about that wonderfully transparent and free-speachy government they have. For Venezuela, same thing. The bravest little whistleblower, who will be the “it girl” until the next face who make make US look bad pops up, may be asked to make anti-American statements on cue and will have to keep his mouth shut in the press when he sees Maduro doing what the PSUV have done without shame time and time again before like the Tascon list, shutting down news outlets that don't give them good copy, beating the crap out of elected members of the opposition in their own chamber, taping conversations then airing them on national television to shame people (including alleged pals of the regime) who don't play nice with the government and all-in-all, drink the proverbial chunky milk. He may even be pressured “say stuff™” against Capriles to ingratiate himself to his hosts even though he more than likely had no information on him as a contractor since he was in a different area but no matter, but Maduro won't care if it gives him an excuse.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 05:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Snowden's live will be a lie, and then he will be tossed aside when no longer useful.
The Yanks are so funny read this........
Jul 09th, 2013 - 06:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The White House says they believe NSA leaker Edward Snowden is in Russia amid an international manhunt that has taken authorities and journalists around the globe this weekend.
“We have known where he is and believe we know where he is now,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said during a Monday afternoon briefing. “It is our assumption that he is in Russia.”
“I’m not going to get into specifics, but it is our understanding that he is still in Russia,” Carney added
.......roughly translated to............we don't know where he is
Oh dear, how sad, never mind!
Jul 09th, 2013 - 06:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0My guess is he is in a nice hotel being looked after by his nice Russian minders.
Only a guess mind you!
Hehe.......Yanks.....there vast spying network and software.....Prism, Riot and god knows what!........doesn't appear to be working for them.....
Jul 09th, 2013 - 06:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Try ringing all the hotels in airport area and asking.......Message for Mr. Snowden from............“country of your choice”..... concerning asylum.
more Yanky nonsense........
Carney went on to condemn authorities in Honk Kong and mainland China and said the decision to allow Snowden to escape amid an US-authored extradition order “was a deliberate choice by the government to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant.”
“We are just not buying that this was a technical decision by a Honk Kong immigration official,“ Carney continued, adding that the action will have a “negative impact on US/China relations.”
Let me amend that to........will have “negative impact on US/China relations.”
or .......”No impact on US/China relations.”
The spy runner…
Jul 09th, 2013 - 06:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Should make a good film,
Becha someone make one..
.
stink... are you upset your commie leaders cannot spy and just prefer to drop your people out of helicopter?
Jul 09th, 2013 - 07:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0RGland is going down in October
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
@20
Jul 09th, 2013 - 07:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0What's wrong does it hurt when someone laughs at Yanks?
Is Jay your hero.......the two of you together would be.......a Popinjay
a Popinjay.......a foppish person.......
A modern-day fop may also be a reference to a foolish person who is overly concerned about his clothing and ...............incapable of engaging in intellectual conversations, activities or thoughts.
that would sum him up......I think!
You would think if Snowden was already in SoAm, Russia would be ecstatic and Maduro would be crowing about it. Just sayin'.
Jul 09th, 2013 - 08:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Sure stink.....I am crying can't you see me?
Jul 09th, 2013 - 09:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Elaine, if they crow over him being in SA, who will bolivia and the chief be lambasting, who will be pointing their finger at the devil incarnate and saying....“see what they did to me”, but most of all, it would prove those countries were correct for their actions.
He's taking a bus from La Paz to Caracas........with a very special chauffuer.
@23 That will be an interesting journey. :)
Jul 09th, 2013 - 09:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 012 Conq:
Jul 09th, 2013 - 10:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I read today that a British man was jailed for threatening to kill children on a US internet forum. Now, you have threatened to wipe out entire countries on here before, which out of context is a whole lot worse. Just remember that all that information might be stored away somewhere on a massive US database, just waiting to be dug up for prosecution at a later date. Be careful what you wish for.
18 Voice
“Hehe.......Yanks.....there vast spying network and software.....Prism, Riot and god knows what!........doesn't appear to be working for them.....”
Yes, the irony is great. They built a vast internet snooping system that only serves to keep tabs on their own citizenry. I mean, who thinks that the dastardly enemies of the US are using Facebook and text messages to plan their next move. And here we have Carney making excuses because Snowden waltzed out of HK - spies in the sky but they can't fill in a form at the local HK police station properly. Brilliant.
22 Elaine
Yes, you are right. Putin would be quick to say if Snowden wasn't in Russia. He'll be happy to get rid of a big head ache.
More comedy from the Keystone Cops.........
Jul 10th, 2013 - 12:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0A senior Obama administration official said........
“Mr Snowden's claim that he is focused on supporting transparency, freedom of the press and protection of individual rights and democracy is belied by the protectors he has potentially chosen: China, Russia, Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador,” said the official, who did not note that the US was simultaneously attempting to secure the cooperation of China and Russia.
“His failure to criticise these regimes suggests that his true motive throughout has been to injure the national security of the US, not to advance internet freedom and free speech,” the official said.
Note the use of the word Regimes.........that's sure to get the cooperation of Russia.........not.
The USA……. they want the rest of the World to think that they know everything about everything, when they apparently don't know anything about anything!
We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Yankees seek him everywhere!
Is he in heaven? Is he in hell?
elusive Snowden with tales to tell!
He is not in heaven......but he has offers from hell.
Jul 10th, 2013 - 09:23 am - Link - Report abuse 026A_Voice:
Jul 10th, 2013 - 06:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“we seek him here, we seek him there”
You're not secretly Ray Davies are you? Trying to make a comeback? Aargh!!! I can't get 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion” out of my head now.
@28
Jul 10th, 2013 - 07:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Haha it's funny you should say that........I was trying to remember the words to the scarlet pimpernel and this second line kept coming into my mind........“His clothes are loud, but never square.”.....I finally had to look it up!......and if the tune has left your thoughts......let me put it back.....“Oh yes he is, Oh yes he is!
and for all the US chumps that should be shouting ”Run boy Run! or ”Slide Charlie Brown Slide!
The Land of the Freeee........and the home..... of the Brave
.......what we now know the US government does
Keeps a record of every cell phone call made.
Keeps a record of all emails sent.
Takes pictures of all the letters mailed in the US.
Uses drones for domestic surveillance.
Reserves the right to detain people (including Americans) indefinitely without trial.
Can search homes without telling people they were there.
Can still carry out renditions.
Can get copies of all of your records (from the library, bank or credit card company) without a warrant.
So to sum things up, if you become a person of interest, the government can quickly find out everyone you have ever talked to and written to; everything you have ever read and bought; and everywhere you have ever been.
If you are overseas, they reserve the right to bring you back against your will and possibly hold you forever without trial.
Land of the Free.......
@29_Voice:
Jul 10th, 2013 - 07:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You'll probably accuse me of apathy on this subject. I find it hard to get excited about these revelations. After Khalid Sheik Mohammed was captured in Pakistan and the U.S. revealed ( sometime later ) volunterally how they caught the blighter I assumed just about every terrorist or organised-crime member with more than one brain-cell to rub together would realise that 'jihad' & 'sleeps with the fishes' were not very smart phrases to use on the 'net. Maybe they're dumber than I give them credit for.
I take comfort from my ant-like status in the face of all this. I'm about as anonymous a nobody to the long arm of the U.S. security apparatus as it's possible to get. The arguments - on this forum and others - that we ( the public ) should be deeply concerned make sense on the surface, but the practical reality is, at least for yours truly, so remote that my imagination fails me.
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