Cuba’s iconic leader Fidel Castro lashed out at a report by a Russian newspaper that claimed the country blocked the NSA leaker Edward Snowden’s travel to Latin America via Havana. Castro also said he “admired” the whistleblower’s actions.
The report by Kommersant on Monday is a “lie” and
“libel,” Castro said in an official media column published
on Wednesday.
“It is obvious that the United States will always try to
pressure Cuba... but not for nothing has [Cuba] resisted and
defended itself without a truce for 54 years and will continue to
do so for as long as necessary,” he wrote.
The Russian newspaper cited sources, including one “close to
the US State Department,” which said Snowden was forced to
stay in Russia after the US threatened Cuba with “adverse
consequences” should the NSA whistleblower get on board
Aeroflot’s Moscow-Havana flight.
According to the report, Havana informed Moscow that it would not
permit the plane to land if Snowden was on board.
Castro responded by blasting Kommersant as a well-known
“counter-revolutionary” and “mercenary” newspaper,
alluding that it acts in the interests of the “evil
empire” of the United States. He also voiced his support for
Edward Snowden’s actions.
“I admire the courageous and just declarations of
Snowden,” Castro wrote. “In my opinion, he has rendered a
service to the world having revealed the repugnantly dishonest
policy of the powerful empire that is lying and deceiving the
world.”
It still remains unclear why the former NSA contractor, who is
wanted in the US on espionage charges, did not fly to Havana
after arriving from Hong Kong on June 23, despite having a flight
booked in his name.
Snowden eventually decided to seek asylum in Russia after
spending nearly six weeks in a transit zone at Sheremetyevo
airport.