Snowden has been filing applications for asylum like a new college graduate looking for a job. The official excuse that most of them are getting is that he must be physically present on their territory before they can consider the application.
NSA leaker Snowden applies for asylum in Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia as options dwindle
Among the Latin American destinations are Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. But it’s still unclear how Snowden might get out of Russia. The United States has revoked his passport and Ecuador says that any documents he might have from that country are not valid.
The impasse raised speculation that Snowden, 30, might hitch a ride with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is in Russia for a meeting with leaders of gas-exporting countries.
Asked by reporters Tuesday if he would take the U.S. fugitive, Maduro avoided the question.
“We’re going to take back many accords that we’ve signed with Russia,” he said, according to the Venezuelan presidency, “that’s what we’re going to take back to Venezuela.”
There are obviously all sorts of diplomatic games going on. Supposedly an appearance at the Moscow embassy of any of these countries would be sufficient to initiate the process of official consideration. However, that would require Putin to let him out of the airport. The idea of his hopping on board Maduro's presidential plane certainly offers a good plot twist. It is possible that the plane itself could be considered Venezuelan territory. They would have a nice long ride to chat about it.
Snowden has become a pawn on the international chess board.