Bolivia Joins Venezuela, Nicaragua in Offering Snowden Asylum

By Jason Ditz

US whistleblower Edward Snowden is stuck in the international section of a Moscow airport today, but that problem may be coming to an end as three nations have offered him asylum in the past 24 hours, all of them South American.

Venezuela and Nicaragua came first, last night both saying they would offer asylum. Venezuela has already gotten an extradition request from the US on the matter. Bolivia, which was caught up in the row earlier in the week when EU officials forced President Morales’ plane down on the mere suspicion that Snowden might be on board, has joined them.

All three are possibilities now, though it is unclear which Snowden might favor. All three are a world away, however, and traveling from Moscow to any of the destinations may be no simple task.

Especially after the Morales fiasco. If EU nations are willing to down a foreign president’s plane on the off chance Snowden may be aboard, European airspace doesn’t seem a viable option to take, and unfortunately that is the favored commercial route to South America. Barring any additional offers of asylum someplace closer, Snowden may still be stuck in Moscow while the details of his flight are negotiated, which could take awhile.