Snowden Offers Help to Brazil for Espionage Investigation for Political Asylum, Brazil will not Consider
Snowden wrote an open letter to the Brazilian people offering his help for the investigation of the U.S. Government's alleged spying on Brazil and its people Dec. 17, Tuesday. In return, he asks for a permanent political asylum.
Brazil answered that without a formal request, the political asylum will not be considered.
Snowden's temporary political asylum in Russia is due to expire in August 2014. He had formerly asked the Brazilian Government for political asylum, but the said government did not reply to the request.
"Many Brazilian senators agree, and have asked for my assistance with their investigations of suspected crimes against Brazilian citizens. I have expressed my willingness to assist wherever appropriate and lawful, but unfortunately the United States government has worked very hard to limit my ability to do so - going so far as to force down the Presidential plane of Evo Morales to prevent me from travelling to Latin America! Until a country grants permanent political asylum, the U.S. government will continue to interfere with my ability to speak," Snowden said in his letter.
Snowden had formerly released evidence that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) spied on President Dilma Rousseff's email and cellphone, and hacked into the computing network of state-run oil company Petrobras. This had angered Brazillians and caused damage on the relationship between Brazil and U.S.
The spying led the Senate to further investigate the extent of NSA's spying in Brazil. "Some members of Brazil's Congress have asked Russia for permission to interview Snowden but haved received no reply," according to Reuters.
The former NSA contractor's letter had prompted support from the Brazilian people and some members of the Congress.
"The Brazilian government should grant him asylum and the U.S government must understand that the NSA rights [are] protected in Brazil's Constitution," Senator Eduardo Suplicy said.
Avaaz, a website for public petitions, started an online signature campaign appealing to President Rousseff to grant Snowden asylum.