Sunday, June 30, 2013

Why is Ecuador Reneging on Asylum for Snowden?



Julian Assange has found a safe harbor in Ecuador but apparently all is not well between Assange and the socialist Ecuador government that is now accusing Assange of illegally arranging Snowden's asylum in Ecuador.

Edward Snowden's plan to seek sanctuary in Ecuador is falling apart
As whistle-blower waits in limbo, Ecuadorean frustration at the 'grandstanding' of ally Julian Assange has put in doubt his quest for asylum

The plan to spirit whistle-blower Edward Snowden to sanctuary in Latin America appears to be falling apart amid tension between Ecuador's government and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

President Rafael Correa halted a bid to help Snowden leave Russia amid concerns Assange was usurping the role of the Ecuadorean government, according to leaked diplomatic correspondence.

He declared invalid a temporary travel document which could have helped extract Snowden from his reported location in Moscow.

Correa declared that the safe conduct pass issued by Ecuador's London consul - in collaboration with Assange - was unauthorised. Other Ecuadorean diplomats privately said the WikiLeaks founder could be perceived as "running the show".

Yesterday Correa said he had spoken with US Vice-President Joe Biden about Snowden, and that Biden had asked Ecuador to reject the fugitive intelligence leaker's asylum request.

Correa said the conversation took place on Friday and that Biden "passed on a polite request from the United States to reject the request".

According to the leaked diplomatic correspondence, obtained by the broadcaster Univision and shared with The Wall Street Journal, divisions over Assange have annoyed Ecuador's government.
What's really going on here?  The US is using its foreign aid hammer and Joe Biden is the messenger.

US aid to Ecuador questioned amid Snowden asylum bid
For its own good, Ecuador might want to reconsider rolling out the red carpet for NSA leaker Edward Snowden as he crisscrosses his way through anti-American countries while seeking asylum, some say.

If Ecuador's President Rafael Correa does give Snowden the green light to call the Latin American country home -- in defiance of the U.S. -- analysts warn that Correa would be biting the hand that helps feed his country. The U.S. government has been sending Ecuador money for the past seven decades.

National security analyst Aaron Cohen told Fox News the U.S. should consider cutting off that aid if Ecuador approves Snowden's asylum request.....

During the past 50 years, USAID, the main American foreign aid agency, has given millions of dollars for education and economic growth. In the past five years alone, Ecuador has received $144.4 million.....

While the amount has steadily decreased from $35 million in 2009 to an estimated $12 million in aid requested for 2014, cutting ties with America could become more costly for Correa than he anticipated.

In recent months, Ecuadorean officials have made trips to Washington, jockeying for preferential treatment for some of its country's key native products like frozen broccoli and fresh-cut roses.

Favored political status, which breaks down to more jobs for Ecuadoreans and cheaper goods for Americans, could be one of the first things on the chopping block if Ecuador grants Snowden asylum.
At the end of the day, tyrannical statist and socialist governments will always support each other over liberty, transparency, disclosure, truth and justice.  We shouldn't be surprised if Ecuador turns Assange over to the US or facilitates his liquidation in cooperation with the CIA.

The US has two big hammers that it uses to whip nations into compliance 1. the trade hammer and 2. the foreign aid hammer.  The US can and has ruthlessly crushed exports from non-compliant nations.  As for foreign aid, it's well documented that most foreign aid is nothing but a defense contractor subsidy.

America's $2.3 Trillion Dollar Foreign Aid is Mostly a Defense Contractor Subsidy

Meanwhile, the Evil Empire marches on in its ruthless pursuit to crush liberty and free trade everywhere.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts