Julian Assange has been granted an Ecuadorian passport, according to Spanish media, suggesting that the WikiLeaks founder may soon leave that nation’s embassy in London.

The report follows a slew of headlines saying it was “not sustainable” to keep the international fugitive longer than his current 5 1/2 years.

Pamela Anderson, an Assange visitor and possible lover, hasn’t commented publicly on the prospect of his leaving. (She’s busy with a campaign to alert female ride-sharing customers of the risks.)

CNET reported earlier: “Now Ecuador may seek a third party to mediate with British lawmakers, foreign minister María Fernanda Espinosa told Associated Press. If the situation is indeed untenable, Assange could finally leave the embassy.”

Guardian columnist James Ball wrote:

“When Ecuador first gave asylum to Assange, he was still a hero to many on the liberal left, and to many opponents of ‘US imperialism.’ Today, most of those who still support Assange are hard-right nationalists – with many seeing him as a supporter of the style of politics of both Trump and Vladimir Putin. Assange is not the political icon he used to be.

“This is perhaps what’s behind Ecuador trying to seek a way to end the standoff. Assange’s effect on foreign and diplomatic relations surely outweighs much of what Ecuador’s own diplomatic corps would like to do.”

Other coverage and commentary:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *