While Edward Snowden, the man responsible for leaking the existence of the National Security Agency's extensive surveillance program, appears to still be trapped in limbo for the time being the country he is hoping will grant him asylum has renounced a trade pact with the United States, according to USA Today.
Snowden is thought to still be in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport awaiting travel to an unknown destination, although most likely he is hoping to fly to Ecuador. Snowden applied for political asylum in the South American country after fleeing to Hong Kong last month. Snowden may end up being there for a long time.
"If he goes to the [Ecuadorean] embassy, we will make a decision," Ricardo Patino, foreign minister of Ecuador, said, according to the Christian Science Monitor. "It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner than that."
A trade pact that would have Ecuador selling $5.4 billion worth of oil to the U.S. is up for renewal and the South American nation believes that the U.S. is trying to use it as a "new instrument of blackmail," according to USA Today.
In exchange for the oil the U.S. drastically reduces tariffs on goods such as cut flowers, artichokes and broccoli coming from Ecuador. Trade with the U.S. represents almost half of Ecuador's foreign trade, reports USA Today.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has said that he will do everything he can as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to make sure the pact is terminated if Snowden is granted political asylum.
"I will lead the effort to prevent the renewal of Ecuador's duty-free access under GSP and will also make sure there is no chance for renewal of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act," Menendez said.
Fernando Alvarez, Ecuador's Communications Minister, took offense to what he viewed as blackmail from the U.S. government.
"[Ecuador] does not accept threats from anybody, and does not trade in principles, or submit to mercantile interests, as important as they may be," Alvarez said in a news conference. "In consequence, Ecuador unilaterally and irrevocably renounces said preferences."
Aaron Cohen, a national security analyst, spoke with Fox News about why the U.S. should cut off aid if Ecuador ends up allowing Snowden to receive political asylum.
"The fact is that we're giving millions of millions of dollars to this country right now who may potentially be harboring somebody who could have been responsible for one of the most massive intelligence leaks in the history of both private contracting and our espionage world," Cohen said.
In addition to renouncing the trade pact Ecuador made what is being viewed as a subtle stab at the U.S. government by offering $23 million in aid for "education about human rights," reports Fox News.
