Ecuador waives US trade rights after threats made over Snowden case

Ecuador said on Thursday it was waiving preferential rights under a US trade agreement to demonstrate its principled approach to the asylum request of former American spy agency contractor and whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

US Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the foreign relations panel, had warned in a statement on Wednesday that accepting Snowden “would severely jeopardise” preferential trade access the United States provides to Ecuador under two programmes that expire next month.

“Our government will not reward countries for bad behaviour,” Menendez said.

Snowden is still believed to be hiding at an airport in Moscow, where he flew to from Hong Kong on Sunday, awaiting a ruling on his request for asylum from the South American country. The United States wants him extradited to face charges that he stole and leaked details of secret US government surveillance programmes.

Menendez also called on Russia to stop sheltering Snowden and turn him over to the United States.

Officials on Thursday in Quito also said that Snowden’s case had still not been processed because he had not reached any of its diplomatic premises.