Both Venezuela and Nicaragua (maybe) have offered asylum to Edward Snowden.
The presidents of Venezuela and Nicaragua offered Friday to grant asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden, one day after leftist South American leaders gathered to denounce the rerouting of Bolivian President Evo Morales’ plane over Europe amid reports that the American was aboard.
Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua made their offers during separate speeches in their home countries Friday afternoon. Snowden has asked for asylum in numerous countries, including Nicaragua and Venezuela.
“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 empire,” Maduro said, referring to the United States. He made the offer during a speech marking the anniversary of Venezuela’s independence. It was not immediately clear if there were any conditions to Venezuela’s offer.
In Nicaragua, Ortega said he was willing to make the same offer “if circumstances allow it.” Ortega didn’t say what the right circumstances would be when he spoke during a speech in Managua.
Ortega doesn’t seem so sure, and if Venezuela turns out to be Snowden’s final destination, the irony will be huge. Venezuela has a terrible human rights track record. There’s an internet law that funnels all traffic through a central government hub. Worse yet:
It also explicitly states that no broadcaster or internet provider can broadcast things that incite hate, cause “anxiety or unrest among the public order,” [...]
The law states that internet providers must have mechanisms that, at the request of telecommunications regulator, could restrict messages and access to websites that break laws.
Providers could be fined if they are found to be in violation of the rules.
On top of that, President Maduro is a big fan of Assad and has condemned the rebel forces in Syria. He’s also used the Venezuelan military to fight crime in Caracas.
But given how Snowden’s two stops so far have been China and Russia, Venezuela wouldn’t surprise me. Too bad he didn’t have a chance to stop off at Burma, Iran, Syria, Sudan and Somalia along the way.
UPDATE: Bolivia is on board as well.