Snowden Offers to Help Brazil Uncover US Espionage

Local Editor

Brazil's biggest newspaper published an open letter from Edward Snowden in which the former National Security Agency contractor offers to assist Brazil in uncovering potential US espionage crimes against Brazilians and makes another plea for asylum.

"Until a country grants permanent political asylum, the US government will continue to interfere with my ability to speak," Snowden wrote in the letter, published Tuesday on the website of Folha de S. Paulo newspaper.

Snowden is wanted by US authorities for leaking a trove of secret documents related to NSA programs that capture Internet and other communications around the globe. Snowden fled the US and was eventually granted temporary asylum in Russia, allowing him to live, work and travel in the country.
The White House waved off suggestions of possible asylum for Snowden in Brazil, saying he should be prosecuted in the US on felony charges. "

Some of the documents leaked by Snowden revealed that the US spied on the communications of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
In the letter, Snowden said he wants to help Brazilian senators who are investigating the spying on Brazilian citizens but said US attempts to have him arrested get in the way.
"I have expressed my willingness to assist wherever appropriate and lawful, but unfortunately the United States government has worked very hard to limit my ability to do so," Snowden wrote.

Snowden made a request for asylum in Brazil and several other countries shortly after arriving at a Russian airport this year. Brazil didn't respond to the request at the time.

One of the journalists who received the documents leaked by Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, is an American who lives in Rio de Janeiro with his husband, David Miranda.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team