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Nicaragua, Venezuela offer asylum to Snowden

06 July 2013 07:33 (UTC +04:00)

"In the name of America's dignity I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to Edward Snowden," Maduro told a military parade marking Venezuela's Independence Day. "He is a young man who has told the truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the United States spying on the whole world." Venezuela's opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, accused Maduro of making a fuss about Snowden to distract voters from a dismal economic picture at home, and a host of other problems including one of the highest murder rates in the world.

Speaking in Managua, President Daniel Ortega said he would gladly give Snowden asylum in Nicaragua "if circumstances permit". He did not say what those circumstances might be.

The 30-year-old former National Security Agency contractor is believed to be holed up in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport. President of Russia Vladimir Putin said July 1 that the American must stop hurting U.S. interests if he wants to remain there.