guardian | Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro said on Friday he had decided to offer asylum to former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who has petitioned several countries to avoid capture by Washington.
"In
the name of America's dignity ... I have decided to offer humanitarian
asylum to Edward Snowden," Maduro told a televised military parade
marking Venezuela's independence day.
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.
WikiLeaks said on Friday that Snowden had applied to six
more nations for asylum, bringing to about 20 the number of countries he
has asked for protection from US espionage charges.
Maduro said
Venezuela was ready to offer him sanctuary, and that the details Snowden
had revealed of a US spy program had exposed the nefarious schemes of
the US "empire".
"He has told the truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the US spying on the whole world," Maduro said.
"Who
is the guilty one? A young man ... who denounces war plans, or the US
government which launches bombs and arms the terrorist Syrian opposition
against the people and legitimate president Bashar al-Assad?"
"Who is the terrorist? Who is the global delinquent?"
