Edward Snowden Writes Open Letter To Brazil Asking For Asylum: Read What He Wrote

Edward Snowden, the ex-NSA analyst turned whistleblower, has written an open letter "to the people of Brazil" offering to help analyze the NSA's spy operations in the country and asking consideration for permanent asylum. The letter, published in São Paulo's "Folha" newspaper begins "six months ago, I stepped out from the shadows of the United States Government's National Security Agency to stand in front of a journalist's camera. I shared with the world evidence proving some governments are building a world-wide surveillance system."

Snowden's letter then goes on to emphasize the extent of the NSA's activities in Brazil: "If you carry a cell phone in Sao Paolo, the NSA can and does keep track of your location." As a result, Brazilian President Dima Rousseff, along with various senators in the country, have been at the forefront of a global initiative to limit spy operations online. Snowden explains that although he has been asked for "assistance with their investigations...the United States government has worked very hard to limit my ability to do so."

As such, Snowden states, "until a country grants permanent political asylum, the U.S. government will continue to interfere with my ability to speak." Snowden received temporary asylum from Russia in June, however, he asked for permanent asylum from a dozen countries, including Brazil. However, Rousseff's government did not respond to Snowden's request. Two months later, documents emerged revealing that Rousseff's personal communications were being watched by the NSA. US-Brazil relations froze over as Rousseff canceled her trip to Washington in October.

Snowden's letter also revealed that his "greatest fear...was that no one would listen to my warning. Never have I been so glad to have been so wrong. The reaction in certain countries has been particularly inspiring to me, and Brazil is certainly one of those." In Snowden's view, "the tide has turned." Despite paying a heavy price for his revelations, Snowden states "I would pay it again: I will not be the one to ignore criminality for the sake of political comfort. I would rather be without a state than without a voice."