The Guardian reports that Ecuador has spent over $5 million on an elaborate operation to protect Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who's been hiding out in their London embassy for years, by spying on guests, hiring private investigators, and by hiring a cybersecurity firm that may have attacked journalist in Ecuador who were critical of the country's arrangement with Assange.
That raises a lot of eyebrows, but so does this:
In an extraordinary breach of diplomatic protocol, Assange hacked into the communications system within the embassy and had his own satellite internet access, according to a source who wished to remain anonymous. By penetrating the embassy’s firewall, Assange was able to access and intercept the official and personal communications of staff, the source claimed.
In 2014, the company hired to film Assange’s visitors was warning the Ecuadorian government that he was “intercepting and gathering information from the embassy and the people who worked there”.
Knowing this, it's easy to see why the current Ecuadorian administration recently cut off Assange's internet access.
Ecuador's ambassador to the United Kingdom reportedly didn't know about the expensive operation to protect Assange until it showed up on an expense report. The operation was approved at the highest level of government under former President Rafael Correa. Current Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno appears to be less interested in protecting Assange.
I for one will briefly dance a jig when Assange finally takes a perp walk, and I don't dance.