On a Wing and a Prayer

Edward, Edward, where will you fly? If you look at the regularly scheduled flights between Moscow and either Caracas, Venezuela or Havana, Cuba, Eddie’s got a problem. The regular Aeroflot route to Havana slides a bit over Florida, and you know the United States ain’t letting NSA spill-meister Edward Snowden escape directly over U.S. airspace. The regularly scheduled flights to Caracas require a stopover somewhere in Europe. And dem big European nations are quite prepared to adhere to U.S. requests to bring Snowden back to America where he faces a litany of charges that could keep him in prison for the rest of his life.

When unmentioned U.S. “authoritative sources” passed the word that Bolivian President, Evo Morales, had smuggled Snowden aboard his private jet as he was leaving a Moscow summit on July 2^nd, sequentially, one European country after another (France, Italy, Portugal and Spain) denied allowing Morales flight passage over their airspace. Morales’ plane was rerouted amid and, being low on fuel, was forced to land in Vienna, Austria, where Morales gave authorities permission to search the plane.  Folks had become suspicious after Morales indicated that Bolivia would seriously consider Snowden’s request for asylum. Morales was really, really pissed!

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo defended his nation’s actions, despite Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca’s written assurances that Snowden was not on the plane: “Spain does not have to make any apology… The airspace was never closed.” Left wing leaders all over Latin America joined Morales in his general condemnation of American bullying, and he told the BBC, “My hand would not shake to close the US embassy… We have dignity, sovereignty. Without the United States, we are better politically and democratically.”

Because Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken the position that since Snowden has not cleared airport immigrations and customs, he has not formally entered Russia, Snowden is reliving Tom Hanks role in Terminal. But Russia is running out of patience. Eddie has asked 21 nations for asylum, but on Venezuelan Independence Day (July 5^th), President Nicholas Maduro made the following offer: “As head of state and government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young US citizen Edward Snowden so he can come to the fatherland of Bolivar and Chavez to live away from the imperial North American persecution.” Woo hoo! Caribbean beaches and hot Latina babes! WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told Eddie to focus on Latin America! And let’s face facts: Venezuela definitely does not like the United States!

So Eddie, assuming you are going to accept Maduro’s offer (or at least follow Assange’s advice and settle somewhere in Latin America), exactly how are you going to get there? There was a private jet at Hong Kong airport reach to whisk Snowden to Iceland if that is where he elected to go, but the flight from Moscow to anywhere in Latin America, even the northern edges, will need a larger plane with enough range to skirt any European airspace… if that is even possible. But U.S. authorities really want Mr. Snowden… and perhaps someday… maybe not too far into the future… Osama bin Laden he is not.

I’m Peter Dekom, and Eddie’s life is going to be very, very difficult for a very, very long time.