The First Reactions In Ecuador After Assange's Asylum Request

Wednesday 20 June 2012:

Twitter: Minister of Foreign Affairs Ricardo Patiño Aroca [picture above] published the following twitters (Spanish), in chronology-order:

• We thank the thousand of messages we received in occasion of  the asylum petition made yesterday by Julian Assange to the Ecuadorian government.

• Assange's request requires in-depth analysis. Ecuador declares that will protect the human right to life and freedom of expression.

• We are now studying the risk declared by Assange on that he would be prosecuted for political motives and that he could be convicted to death penalty.

• The Ecuadorian Constitution respects the right to life, it does not recognize the death penalty and defends absolutely freedom of expression.

• Ecuadorian Government under the leadership of Rafael Correa has maintained a sovereign foreign policy, and based on principles, which will not change now.

Quito: Decision on Assange asylum within 24 hours, declared Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marco Albija. "The National government is considering its position and the President will give us his instructions tomorrow [Thursday, Rome time zone] says the article below:

Quito: In another article - "Lawyer of the plaintiffs convinced that  Assange will be extradited" - leading newspaper El Comercio reports that Claes Borgström, the women-accusers' lawyer (see above) "cannot imagine that Ecuador will give asylum to Assange" - "That would entail a critic to U.S. too" warned Borgström. Unbelievable but true; read all here [The full quote in Spanish, "Si Ecuador acordara el asilo al fundador de Wikileaks “este país irá contra el mandato de detención europeo y sería también una severa crítica para Estados Unidos”, advirtió el abogado de las suecas."]

Rio de Janeiro: Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, in brief declarations published in El Universo while in a UN Conference, said his country is "processing the application" (Assange's request for asylum, in Spanish, solicitud de asilo). And the President added: "We are a country of freedoms" [somos un pais de libertades]

Quito: Foreign Affairs Minister Ricardo Patiño: "In Ecuador there is total freedom of expression - that is the reason why Julian Assange decided for asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy" (ANSA & El Comercio). Also, "No deadlines for the government decision on Assange's asylum" declared Patiño Aroca.

Stockholm: Claes Bogström (from the firm Bordström & Borgström behind the instigation for the reopening of the "case" - Thomas Bordström is the former Swedish Minister of Justice implicated in the rendition of asylum seekers to CIA) has been today filed upon the Swedish Bar Association's Discipline Committee for infringement of the Bar Association's ethic code. This is due  his statements on Assange's asylum request to Ecuador. Borgström have insinuated that Assange is guilty of the crimes accused by the plaintiffs he represents. The report made by the human-rights organization Rättsäkerhetsorganizationen.

Quito: Ecuador asylum for Assange near - "almost a fact"  (leading Ecuadorian paper El Comercio)