Ecuador Starts to Back Away From Snowden, Assange

The helping hand Julian Assange is lending to Edward Snowden might be turning into more of a chokehold: The Guardian reports that leaked diplomatic correspondence out of Ecuador shows that President Rafael Correa is somewhat cooling to Snowden's plight and growing weary of Assange. Ecuador's ambassador to the US apparently told a presidential rep, via note, that the WikiLeaks founder is hogging the spotlight and the reins: "I suggest talking to Assange to better control the communications. From outside, [Assange] appears to be running the show," the Guardian reports her as writing.

The Wall Street Journal specifically cites a note sent by Assange on Monday to Ecuadorean officials in which he said he hoped his role wasn't perceived as bothersome —while going on to share PR advice. The Journal also reports that Correa yesterday distanced Ecuador from the travel document Snowden is said to have obtained from the country with Assange's help, saying that if such a document had actually been given to Snowden, "the person who issued it will be totally without authority and [the document] would have no validity." The Guardian adds that Correa yesterday said Snowden would need to get to Ecuadorean territory for his asylum request to be considered; the paper calls that "an increasingly remote prospect." (More Ecuador stories.)