BUENOS AIRES, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - The Ecuadorean president said on Saturday that the country's consul in London faces a disciplinary action for apparently issuing travel papers to fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"If it is [true] that he went beyond his authority, he will be disciplined accordingly," the paper quoted President Rafael Correa as saying during his regular Saturday television address.
Correa said that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has sheltered in Ecuador’s embassy in London for the past year, might be involved.
The president said the actions of Consul Fidel Narvaez "were probably taken with Assange in desperation that Mr. Snowden was going to be captured, that was without the knowledge and the authority of the Ecuadorean government."
In an interview, broadcast live by the presidential administration website, Correa reiterated that no decision will be made regarding the asylum request unless Snowden is on Ecuadorian territory.
"Now it’s up to the Russian authorities to decide how [the situation with Snowden] will be settled,” Correa said.
The Spanish-language Univision TV published on its website a copy of a transit document, allegedly issued to Snowden by the Ecuadorean consulate in London. Ecuadorean officials later confirmed that the safe pass had been issued, but said the document was invalid as it was not authorized by the country’s authorities.
