American journalist Glenn Greenwald says he believes former spy contractor Edward Snowden will soon seek refuge in Venezuela.
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Glenn
Greenwald, the American journalist who first published top-secret
information on U.S. surveillance programmes using data leaked by former
spy contractor Edward Snowden.
Speaking from his home in Rio de
Janeiro, The Guardian blogger and columnist said he had spoken to
Snowden about the fugitive's asylum plans via an encrypted online chat
on Tuesday.
[Glenn Greenwald, American Journalist]:
"There are
news reports today that he has formally accepted the asylum offer from
Venezuela. Whether those news reports are accurate or not, I don't want
to comment on but, I think personally, just speaking for myself, that of
the three options, that one seems like the more plausible."
Snowden, seen here speaking to The Guardian Newspaper, is wanted by the United States on espionage charges.
He
is believed to be holed up in the transit terminal of Moscow's main
airport, where he has been stuck for weeks after the U.S. voided his
passport and threatened consequences for any country that offered the
American refuge.
Greenwald says conversations with the wanted man
have led him to believe Snowden's trove of National Security Agency
documents are not in the hands of foreign governments.
Meanwhile,
Venezuela's foreign minister said the contractor had not officially
accepted his country's offer of asylum, as of Tuesday.