Edward Snowden's makes request for asylum in Ecuador
Ecuador has received a request for asylum from former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino has said.
Mr Patino read out the letter his government had received from Mr Snowden, whose whereabouts are unknown after a flight he was expected to take from Russia apparently left without him on board.
The 30-year-old has been charged in the US with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.
In his request, Mr Snowden said that it would be "improbable" that he would receive a fair trail in the US, and he might face life imprisonment there.
24 Jun 2013
- From the section Latin America & Caribbean