The Russian newspaper, Kommersant, reported on Monday that Edward Snowden, the former analyst for the National Security Agency who leaked classified information, spent his last days in Hong Kong at the Russian Consulate before flying to Moscow in an attempt to emigrate to Latin America to receive political asylum, according to the Associated Press.
Snowden became trapped at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport when his United States passport was revoked. Snowden would spend over a month living at the airport until Russia eventually granted him temporary political asylum for one year.
If the reports from Kommersant are true Snowden's lack of passport is not the only thing that prevented him from making his final destination, Cuban authorities informed Aeroflot that their plane would not be allowed to land in Havana with Snowden aboard. According to the Russian paper the United States threatened Cuba with "adverse consequences"if it were to assist the fugitive, according to RT.
Previously Vladimir Putin's government has denied playing any role in Snowden landing in their country. Putin has made multiple comments about what a burden Snowden provided the Russian government as they attempt to repair frosty relations with the United States.
The report in Kommersant says that Snowden was not invited by the Russian Consulate in Hong Kong, instead he showed up out of the blue and presented his plans to travel through Moscow and Havana in his attempt to reach a Latin American country willing to harbor him. The paper also quotes a western official who doubts the Russian story that they were not involved, according to RT.
"Russians contacted Snowden, by giving him an invitation through the Chinese, who were happy to get rid of him," the official told Kommersant.
Since leaking the existence of the NSA's highly controversial surveillance program Snowden has been on the run. The first articles in the Guardian did not run until after Snowden had left his home in Hawaii for Hong Kong. Once he became trapped in Russia Snowden formally applied for asylum in 27 countries. Only Venezuela and Nicaragua granted it to him. Ecuador considered doing so but eventually changed their mind, possibly in part because the United States threatened to change some of their trade policies with the Latin American country.
