Why Ecuador?

[ProSense]

Why Ecuador?

By David Weigel

<...>


But why Ecuador? First, the country has an enviably loopholed extradition treaty with the United States. Outlaws wanted for offenses "of a political character" can dodge extradition. The oh-so-bright American senators who rushed to call Snowden a "traitor" have certainly created the impression that Snowden is wanted for political reasons, and in his interviews he's happy to reinforce this.

Second, the ruling regime in Ecuador doesn't really care what America thinks. In 2006 the country gave its presidency to Rafael Correa. A fan and ally of Hugo Chavez, Correa reversed decades of Ecuadorian kowtowing to the United States by declaring the national debt illegitimate and defaulting on the country's bonds. A country that had adopted* the U.S. dollar as a default currency had sparked a nationalist debt revolt—and it sort of won. Correa, never as colorful as Chavez, still consolidated power and won a landslide re-election. Giving asylum to people who make America look weak, and spill its secrets, is easy politics for him.

The result: Snowden, avoiding extradition, is on a world tour of regimes generally more hostile to press and information freedom than the United States is. At the moment he's less concerned with irony than with avoiding jail.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/06/23/why_ecuador.html

[hunter]

1. Why? Because of all our dirty wars with Latin America.

It's a way of saying "Fuck You, USA!!!"

Any other questions?

[COLGATE4]

3. Yeah, that must be it. Couldn't be for

the explicit, factual reasons the other poster pointed out.

[Historic NY]

2. Because it sets up a trade.......

for Assange......why else would wikileaks be so involved.