Ecuadorian officials have asked Washington to put forth all objections as to why Quito should not offer political asylum to the U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden and say the whistleblower's asylum request might take weeks to be decided.
The Quito government took two months to grant asylum to the Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, according to the foreign minister Ricardo Patino.
"It took us more than two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time," Ricardo Patino told reporters.
Assange walked into the Ecuadorean embassy in London as his appeal against extradition to Sweden on charges of sex crimes was turned down last June.
The Quito government Wednesday said it had asked Washington to submit any objection in writing against granting asylum to the American whistleblower.
The minister said his government had not yet made a decision whether to offer protection to the whistleblower but he said it would consider Snowden's application "responsibly" on the basis of "human rights obligations."
"If he goes to an embassy, then we will make a decision," said the foreign minister.
Robert Menendez, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Washington should punish Quito economically if it decides to offer asylum to the American fugitive.
Robert Menendez added that he would campaign to end preferential trade access for Ecuador.
The senator had also asked the Russian government to extradite Snowden to Washington immediately.
Despite Washington's warning against protecting Snowden, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said his government would consider an asylum application from the American whistleblower.
"We say and advocate that someone in the world should stand with this young man and protect him, the revelations he has made with courage serve to change the world," said the president.
Edward Snowden is currently in the transit zone of a Moscow airport, apparently waiting for a positive response from the Ecuadorian government.
