Rafael Correa: we helped Snowden by mistake

[ProSense]

Rafael Correa: we helped Snowden by mistake

Ecuador's president reveals travel pass was granted 'without authorisation' and says whistleblower is now Russia's problem

Rory Carroll in Quito

Ecuador is not considering Edward Snowden's asylum request and never intended to facilitate his flight from Hong Kong, president Rafael Correa said as the whistleblower made a personal plea to Quito for his case to be heard.

<...>

"Are we responsible for getting him to Ecuador? It's not logical. The country that has to give him a safe conduct document is Russia." <...> speaking to the Guardian at the presidential palace in Quito, said his government did not intentionally help Snowden travel from Hong Kong to Moscow with a temporary travel pass. "It was a mistake on our part," he added.

Asked if he thought the former NSA contractor would ever make it to Quito, he replied: "Mr Snowden's situation is very complicated, but in this moment he is in Russian territory and these are decisions for the Russian authorities."

Asked if he would like to meet him, he said: "Not particularly. He's a very complicated person. Strictly speaking, Mr Snowden spied for some time."

- more -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/02/ecuador-rafael-correa-snowden-mistake

Josh Marshall: "Snowden’s pretty screwed."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023144319

[madokie]

1. He made his bed

now let him sleep in it
In other words screw him and the gee gee he rode in on. MHO

[ProSense]

2. The current statement likely isn't helping.

Reads like it was written by Assange, and it's whack!

[ProSense]

3. Uh Oh … Ecuador Throws Snowden Under Bus

Uh Oh … Ecuador Throws Snowden Under Bus
http://editors.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/07/uh_oh_ecuador_throws_snowden_under_bus.php

[flamingdem]

4. Oh my lawd, Ay dios!

What a difference a day (well a few) makes

[still_one]

5. But president Assange assured us that he would grant Snowden assulum

[ucrdem]

7. .

[JI7]

8. i knew it came from him when i heard it was from the embassy in london

[flamingdem]

12. DUzy

[ProSense]

14. That was a huge screw up. n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. ROFL

WikiLeaks Attorneys! He's accompanied by WikiLeaks Attorneys!!!!

[Scurrilous]

20. ROFL

[Whisp]

22. ha! I find it hard to believe that Assange would be that Stupid...

why would he intentionally do that tho - try to keep Snowden in Russia and let it be Russia's problem?

What's in it for him and his cause?

[ucrdem]

6. Let's just say Joe can be persuasive . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3127998

[flamingdem]

9. Correa is calling him a spy now!

Joe, Joe what did you say!

Tu Raffie Correa eres mi amigo mejor mucho dinero trade agreemento

[ucrdem]

10. If I got a call from Joe

that's exactly what I'd say too

[flamingdem]

11. Assange might be feeling a little hot around the collar

Raffie is gunning for him and he's about to get tossed to La Calle en Londres! Maybe Putin would take him

[ucrdem]

15. debajo del autobús:

He said the temporary travel document issued by his London consul on 22 June - and publicly disowned five days later — was a blunder.

“It was a mistake on our part. Look, this crisis hit us in a very vulnerable moment. Our foreign minister was touring Asia. Our deputy foreign minister was in the Czech Republic. Our US ambassador was in Italy.”

Narvaez and Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who has sheltered at Ecuador’s London embassy for the past year to escape extradition, took matters into their own hands because they feared Snowden risked capture, said Correa.

“The consul, in his desperation, probably he couldn’t reach the foreign minister, it was four in the morning, and he issued a safe conduct document without validity, without authorisation, without us even knowing.”

[flamingdem]

13. On a serious note: Sen. Menendez outburst attacking Ecuador was very damaging

It put Ecuador into defensive mode and there was no need to attack them in that manner (threatening trade agreements in a blunt and non-diplomatic way).

The Ecuadorans have plenty of reasons to distrust the yankees and the US very often gets Latin America wrong, really wrong, horribly wrong, human rights disaster wrong (Honduras as of late).

Let's hope wholeheartedly that this incident might turn a page in our terrible history of domination of Latin America. The left leaders in Latin America, and looks like we're about to have another in Chile really deserve US support, especially when China will own them otherwise!

If anything good could come out of Snowden this might be it. Thank you Joe Biden!

Edit: Plus, we need friends now that Europe hates us!

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. Ouch...

[UTUSN]

17. Russia is *very* lovable, I'm sure he'll find. n/t

[MH1]

19. They have so much more respect for privacy

and personal freedoms there, you know.

[UTUSN]

21. You "get" me, you really "get" me!1 Thanks!1 n/t

[Number23]

23. Curiouser and curiouser...