This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/23/edward-snowdon-ecuador-political-refuge-assylum
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Edward Snowden: how Ecuador shapes up as potential political refuge | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Political cover | Political cover |
| Although Ecuador is relatively small, it has strong regional allies and economic support from China, which strengthens its ability to resist extradition requests. The president, Rafael Correa, has shown he is not afraid of standing up to the US and Europe by granting asylum to the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. WikiLeaks claimed on Sunday that it was helping Snowden to secure asylum in "a democratic nation via a safe route". Correa has just been re-elected to a four year term so Snowden's cover would be likely last until at least 2017. | Although Ecuador is relatively small, it has strong regional allies and economic support from China, which strengthens its ability to resist extradition requests. The president, Rafael Correa, has shown he is not afraid of standing up to the US and Europe by granting asylum to the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. WikiLeaks claimed on Sunday that it was helping Snowden to secure asylum in "a democratic nation via a safe route". Correa has just been re-elected to a four year term so Snowden's cover would be likely last until at least 2017. |
| Reputation impact | Reputation impact |
| Slightly less risky than Venezuela. Correa is less of a hate figure in the US than Hugo Chávez or Nicolás Maduro. Ecuador is too small to be considered a threat, though its increasingly close ties to China might raise questions. Correa has been heavily criticised for cracking down on private media groups, though there is still a diverse range of opinion on TV and in newspapers. | Slightly less risky than Venezuela. Correa is less of a hate figure in the US than Hugo Chávez or Nicolás Maduro. Ecuador is too small to be considered a threat, though its increasingly close ties to China might raise questions. Correa has been heavily criticised for cracking down on private media groups, though there is still a diverse range of opinion on TV and in newspapers. |
| Living standard | Living standard |
| Quito is a stunning city high in the Andes with great food, decent internet, reasonable prices and easy access to Pacific beaches and Amazon forest. Crime rates are somewhat lower than Venezuela and inequality, though a major problem, is less apparent. | Quito is a stunning city high in the Andes with great food, decent internet, reasonable prices and easy access to Pacific beaches and Amazon forest. Crime rates are somewhat lower than Venezuela and inequality, though a major problem, is less apparent. |
| Climate | Climate |
| Quito's altitude of 2,800m (9,200ft) takes some getting used to. It has cool summers and mild winters, interspersed with the occasional mountain storm and lots of cloud cover. | Quito's altitude of 2,800m (9,200ft) takes some getting used to. It has cool summers and mild winters, interspersed with the occasional mountain storm and lots of cloud cover. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox every weekday. |