The Informant Gets Asylum

Published in La Tribuna
(Honduras) on 3 August 2013
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Maria Tartaglia. Edited by Kyrstie Lane.
Do you remember that informant, the one who divulged the CIA’s sophisticated system used to spy on governments, missions and diplomatic seats, including its allies? After spending the night in the Moscow airport for five weeks, from where he could not continue his trip because the U.S. Department of State had cancelled his passport and demanded his extradition for the grave crimes he committed against national security, Putin granted him temporary asylum for one year, drawing the ire of the U.S. government. The incident, as you will recall, also angered Evo [Morales], because several European governments, believing that the informant was on board Evo’s return flight from a Moscow summit, bound for Brazil, refused to allow the plane to fly over their skies.

Even the Organization of American States came out condemning the violation of the president’s diplomatic investiture, stating that it was not only disrespectful of the Bolivian government’s sovereignty, but it also offended all of Latin America. It is strange that, if the disrespect of one government offends an entire continent, the Honduran president has not received equal treatment when various governments of the southern hemisphere, angry with Honduras — even though the country had been through busy elections — have created several humiliations for the country. They prevented him from flying over their territory and prohibited his presence at regional summits, under threat of boycott, in spite of the fact that the hosts had previously invited him. These unpleasant moments that we recall have no other purpose than to show proof of the double standard with which these things are measured, such as the hypocrisy of diplomacy.

Getting back the American informant has become an annoying headache for the U.S. government. The Russians’ decision to grant asylum has provoked “profound disappointment” from the White House. Obama has personally communicated with Putin by telephone. Obama requested that Russia not grant asylum and instead hand Snowden over to the U.S. justice system, despite the fact that neither country has an extradition treaty. But as the Russians, with Putin at the head, are strengthening their hegemonic positions with a view of recuperating the power that they have yearned for since the old Soviet Union fell, the influence of the Americans is very limited.

“We are evaluating the utility of a summit, in light of this and other issues,” a White House spokesman continued, alluding to a bilateral meeting between Obama and Putin in Russia before the end of the year. The informant not only escaped from the Americans but also the hoard of journalists who were stalking the Moscow airport to interview him, since he left the premises in a clandestine operation to a secret and secure place. The other great informant, Julian Assange, the Australian WikiLeaks hacker who has had asylum for over a year in the Ecuadorian embassy in London while trying to avoid his extradition to Sweden, celebrated the decision of the Russians. We will continue to follow the plot to see if Obama decides to go to Moscow or not for the scheduled meeting with his friend Putin.


EL SOPLÓN CONSIGUE ASILO

¿Se acuerdan de aquel soplón, que divulgó un sistema sofisticado de los servicios de inteligencia de los Estados Unidos para espiar gobiernos, misiones y sedes diplomáticas, incluyendo de sus aliados? Después de pernoctar por cinco semanas en el aeropuerto de Moscú -desde donde no pudo continuar el viaje porque el Departamento de Estado norteamericano le anuló su pasaporte, exigiendo su extradición por delitos graves a la seguridad nacional-, Putin acaba de concederle asilo temporal por un año, provocando la ira del gobierno estadounidense. El incidente, como recordarán, también provocó la ira de Evo, a quien varios gobiernos europeos, creyendo que a bordo traía al soplón, le negaron sobrevolar sus cielos, cuando regresaba de una cumbre de Moscú con destino a Bolivia.


Hasta la OEA se pronunció condenando la violación a la investidura diplomática del mandatario, ya que eso -dijeron- no solo irrespeta la soberanía del gobierno boliviano, sino que ofende a toda Latinoamérica. Raro que, si el irrespeto a un gobernante ofende a todo el continente, el presidente hondureño no haya recibido igual trato cuando varios gobiernos del cono sur, enojados con Honduras (aunque el país ya había pasado por elecciones concurridas después del zafarrancho aquel), lo hicieron pasar por múltiples humillaciones. Le impidieron sobrevolar su territorio y vetaron su presencia a las cumbres regionales, bajo amenaza de boicotearlas, pese a que previamente había sido invitado por los anfitriones. Estos ingratos pasajes que rememoramos no tienen otro propósito que dejar constancia del doble rasero con que se miden estas cosas. Como de la hipocresía en la diplomacia.

Volviendo al soplón gringo que se ha convertido en molesto dolor de cabeza para el gobierno estadounidense. La decisión de los rusos de conceder el asilo ha provocado una “profunda decepción” a la Casa Blanca. Obama personalmente se había comunicado con Putin, por la vía telefónica. Se intuye que solicitando no otorgar el asilo y entregarlo a la justicia norteamericana, pese a que ambos países no tienen tratado de extradición. Pero como los rusos, con Putin a la cabeza, ya días vienen fortaleciendo sus posiciones hegemónicas con miras a recuperar el poder que añoran desde que se desburrungó la antigua Unión Soviética, la influencia de los gringos es muy limitada.

“A la luz de estos hechos -continuó diciendo el vocero de la Casa Blanca, aludiendo a una reunión bilateral prevista entre Obama y Putin, allá en Rusia, antes del fin de año- estamos evaluando la utilidad de una cumbre”. El soplón, no solo se le escapó a los gringos sino a la horda de periodistas que asechaba el aeropuerto de Moscú para entrevistarlo, ya que salió de las instalaciones en una operación clandestina hacia un lugar secreto y seguro. El otro gran informante, Julian Assange, el hacker australiano de Wikileaks, quien lleva más de un año de estar asilado en la embajada ecuatoriana en Londres, tratando de evitar su extradición a Suecia, celebró la decisión de los rusos. Vamos a continuar pendientes de la trama. A ver si Obama decide ir o no ir a Moscú a la reunión programada con su amigo Putin.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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