Ecuador confirmed on Tuesday that it was behind the blocking of Julian Assange´s internet access. The admission came at a time when speculations allege that Assange was forced offline so he can't interfere with the U.S. presidential elections, following a batch of leaked emails from Hillary Clinton´s campaign chairman John Podesta that the radical transparency organization WikiLeaks released over the last weeks.
Ecuador Allies With The U.S. To Protect The Elections
This situation clearly shows the Ecuadorean government's cooperation with the U.S., in order to prevent further damages to Clinton´s image, just a few weeks before the election. However, the embassy denied this allegation through a statement.
This event represents a possible change in the geopolitical order in the region, since these countries had hostile diplomatic relationships since President Rafael Correa came to power. Also, it might be a major threat to the WikiLeaks leader, since he previously promised to reveal every single document regarding the U.S. election before November 8.
Official Communiqué | Ecuador respects the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states ➡️https://t.co/4F7R5Iktsd pic.twitter.com/5FtbLViMEo
— Foreign Affairs Ec (@MFAEcuador) 18 de octubre de 2016
In relation to his asylum, the Ecuadorean statement also explained that it will continue to protect Julian Assange, and reiterated its intention "to safeguard his life and physical integrity until he reaches a safe place." However, it remains unknown what the embassy would do if WikiLeaks keeps publishing delicate documents, now that it is clear with its commitment to "not interfere in external electoral processes, nor does it favor any particular candidate."
According to the latest leaked emails, Clinton said in a Goldman Sachs conference she would like to intervene secretly in Syria. Apparently, employees of the bank in South Carolina paid her about $225,000 to give a speech, as reported by the BBC.
Julian Assange Has Reasons To Not Feeling Safe Anymore
Julian Assange has been living in the Ecuadorean embassy since 2012, which gave him asylum after a British court ordered his extradition to Sweden to face a police interrogation over an alleged sexual abuse case. An Ecuadorean prosecutor, a police investigator and the Swedish chief prosecutor Ingrid Isgren will do a questioning regarding the case on November 14.
Assange biggest fear is to be handed over the U.S. by Swedish authorities, where he could be tried for espionage after leaking thousands of confidential documents from the government. Although he could feel safe within the Ecuadorean embassy, he might have second thoughts now.
