Quotable

“Finally I should state that the recent revelations of the U.S. citizen Edward Snowden allowed the confirmation of the existence of global espionage systems of the United States…Cuba has historically been one of the most attacked and also most spied-upon countries on the planet, and already knew of the existence of these espionage systems…

“We support the sovereign right of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and of all the states of the region in granting asylum to those persecuted for their ideas or their struggles for democratic rights, according to our tradition.

“We do not accept double standards, interference or pressures of any type.  As President Nicolas Maduro has indicated, one cannot give refuge and refuse extradition to Venezuela of an international terrorist like Posada Carriles, the author of, among other crimes, blowing up a Cubana de Aviacion airplane with 73 human beings aboard, and at the same time act as if this sister nation is not exercising its legitimate right.”

– Cuban President Raul Castro before the National Assembly yesterday, delivering his government’s first public comment on the Snowden case; neither he nor Cuban media have commented on the possibility of Snowden passing through Cuba on the way to a country of asylum, nor have they mentioned  Snowden’s request that Cuba grant him asylum