Ecuador calls on US to provide explanations on its global espionage

Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino has called on the United States to provide a thorough explanation of its controversial secret global espionage programs.

“The United States has been accused of spying. Now it should be giving a clear and through explanation to the citizens of this world regarding this issue,” Patino made the remarks in an interview at an airport in the capital, Quito.

On June 6, the UK’s Guardian newspaper revealed that a top secret US court order allows the US National Security Agency (NSA) to collect data on the millions of Americans who are customers of major US phone company Verizon.

On the same day, the Washington Post also reported that the NSA had direct access to internet servers, saying their source, a career intelligence officer, was horrified of the capabilities of the systems used by the top US spy agency.

On June 9, 29-year-old Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, admitted his role in the leaks in a 12-minute video recorded interview published by the British daily.

The NSA scandal found even broader dimensions when Snowden revealed more information on the American agency’s espionage against other countries.

Patino, whose country has announced that it would consider giving asylum to Snowden if he applies for it, further slammed the world media for focusing their attention on the American whistleblower’s whereabouts.

Ecuador has already given shelter to Julian Assange, the founder of the website WikiLeaks.