Why Snowden's Fate Matters

Will Ecuador's actions back up the words of Foreign Minister Patino? Having previously provided political asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, President Correa has shown that he possesses uncommon courage and leadership. It would be a shame to see Ecuador -- which prides itself on being an independent Latin American country that has repudiated the status of a banana republic -- buckle so soon under U.S. pressure.

As China's Global Times newspaper wrote upon Snowden's departure from Hong Kong: "We wish Snowden good luck in this difficult time. His personal fate will reflect the game between U.S. hegemony and global pursuit for fairness and justice."

What happens next also will be a test of whether America's democratic Republic retains the necessary respect for civic courage, which can be defined as putting one's own welfare aside for the benefit of the larger society, a prerequisite for this form of government which is by, of and for the people.

Or as WikiLeaks tweeted on June 30, in response to a tweet wondering whether Christians ought to support whistleblowers Edward Snowden, Bradley Manning and Julian Assange: "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light." (Mark 4:22)