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Snowden and NSA leaks

Venezuelan authorities not establish contact with Snowden yet - Venezuela FM

The Venezuelan authorities did not establish contact with former CIA agent Edward Snowden yet

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

CARACAS, July 7 (Itar-Tass) - The Venezuelan authorities did not establish contact with former CIA agent Edward Snowden yet, Foreign Minister of this South American republic Elias Jaua said in an interview with the television channel Venezolana de Television.

“We did not have any contact yet, we expect that it will be clear on Monday that, first, he confirms that he is ready to receive asylum in Venezuela, second, we should establish contact with the government of the Russian Federation, as he is staying there, it is clear that he is not on the Venezuelan territory,” the Venezuelan foreign minister said. “We should find out the position of the Russian government on this issue,” he said.

“Since this young man formally asked for political asylum in our country, we should consider this request, give an assessment to it and accept it, as President Maduro stated,” Jaua noted.

On Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro proposed to Snowden to grant “a humanitarian asylum” to him in order “to protect him from the pursuit of one of the most powerful governments in the world.” He has made a statement to this effect to the participants of a military parade, which was dedicated to the 202nd anniversary of national independence on Friday. “As the head of state and government of Venezuela I decided to offer humanitarian asylum to young American Edward Snowden so that he will be able to go to the homeland of Bolivar and Chavez, escaping from the prosecution of the United States,” Maduro said. In his view, the former CIA agent “did not do anything, except for saying the truth,” after that he was exposed to the manhunt from “the most powerful empire in the world.”

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