Former US spy Edward Snowden on Sunday arrived in Russia from Hong Kong, reportedly on his way to Venezuela, escaping the clutches of US justice at least for now in a shock development sure to infuriate Washington.
Snowden has asked for asylum in Ecuador, its Foreign Minister said as the ex-NSA contractor seeks to escape US justice for revealing a vast phone and Web snooping drive. Ecuador is led by President Rafael Correa, an outspoken leftist, populist and critic of the US in the mold of his late mentor Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.