Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro said it would give asylum to the intelligence leaker, who is believed to be holed up（躲藏） in a transit³ area of Moscow airport.

 

Meanwhile Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said his country would do so "if circumstances permit".

 

Bolivia's Evo Morales said Mr Snowden could get asylum there if he sought it.

 

Mr Snowden has sent requests for political asylum to at least 21 countries, most of which have turned down his request. Earlier, Wikileaks said he had applied⁴ to six additional countries on Friday.

 

The whistleblowing website said it would not name the countries "due to attempted US interference".

 

But even if a country accepted the American's application, getting there could prove difficult, the BBC's Steven Rosenberg, in Moscow, reports.

 

European airspace could be closed to any aircraft suspected of carrying the fugitive, our correspondent says.

 

Earlier this week, several European countries reportedly refused to allow the Bolivian president's jet to cross their airspace on its way back from Moscow - apparently⁵ because of suspicions that Edward Snowden was on board.

 

Mr Morales described Mr Snowden's actions as "a fair way of protesting" and described him as "persecuted⁶ by his fellow countrymen".

 

"We are not scared [of reprisals]," he added.

点击收听单词发音