Letter to the President and People of Ecuador

Common Dreams – by Edward Snowden

The following is the full text of a letter by Edward Snowden to the President of EcuadorRafael Correa. Written in Spanish, it was obtained and translated by the Press Association in London.

There are few world leaders who would risk standing for the human rights of an individual against the most powerful government on earth, and the bravery of Ecuador and its people is an example to the world.  

I must express my deep respect for your principles and sincere thanks for your government’s action in considering my request for political asylum.

The government of the United States of America has built the world’s largest system of surveillance. This global system affects every human life touched by technology; recording, analysing, and passing secret judgment over each member of the international public.

It is a grave violation of our universal human rights when a political system perpetuates automatic, pervasive and unwarranted spying against innocent people.

In accordance with this belief, I revealed this programme to my country and the world. While the public has cried out support of my shining a light on this secret system of injustice, the government of the United States of America responded with an extrajudicial man-hunt costing me my family, my freedom to travel and my right to live peacefully without fear of illegal aggression.

As I face this persecution, there has been silence from governments afraid of the United States government and their threats. Ecuador however, rose to stand and defend the human right to seek asylum.

The decisive action of your consul in London, Fidel Narvaez, guaranteed my rights would be protected upon departing Hong Kong – I could never have risked travel without that. Now, as a result, and through the continued support of your government, I remain free and able to publish information that serves the public interest.

No matter how many more days my life contains, I remain dedicated to the fight for justice in this unequal world. If any of those days ahead realise a contribution to the common good, the world will have the principles of Ecuador to thank.

Please accept my gratitude on behalf of your government and the people of the Republic of Ecuador, as well as my great personal admiration of your commitment to doing what is right rather than what is rewarding.

Edward Joseph Snowden.

Edward Snowden

Whistleblower Edward Joseph Snowden is a US former technical contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee who leaked details of top-secret US and British government mass surveillance programs to the press.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/07/02-0

2 thoughts on “Letter to the President and People of Ecuador

  1. This guy is such a troublemaker and such a plant, it’s not even funny. Now he is going around to Ecquador.

    It’s like he is going to all of the countries to test whether they are with America or against America and then publicly state it on TV, at which point, the Zionist elite in charge of our government will put those on their shit list who publicly state they are against the policies of America and the UN.

    And why isn’t he dead yet? Someone please tell me that. They can find anyone they want in a matter of days or hours, but this fruit loop eludes them? BULL-SHIT!!

    He’s being used by some covert agency to report back his finds and this whole “out to get him” thing is a distraction. He’s a double agent. Plain and simple.

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