[quote]Ecuador has ramped up its defiance of the US over Edward Snowden by waiving preferential trade rights with Washington even as the whistleblower's prospect of reaching Quito dimmed. President Rafael Correa's government said on Thursday it was renouncing the Andean Trade Preference Act to thwart US "blackmail" of Ecuador in the former NSA contractor's asylum request. Officials, speaking at an early morning press conference, also offered a $23m donation for human rights training in the US, a brash riposte to recent US criticism of Ecuador's own human rights record.[/quote] [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/27/ecuador-us-trade-pact-edward-snowden]Article[/url] In light of the American government pressuring them to deny Edward Snowden asylum by threatening the termination of bilateral trade agreements, the Ecuadorian government has waived preferential trade rights and offered to donate $23m to the US for 'human rights training.' Your move America. What's Spanish for 'huge cojones?' i'm just concerned that the firebrand attitude of the government may end up hurting the Ecuadorian people more than the government, considering America's sizeable economic clout. (In case you were wondering, the recently terminated trade agreement exempted Ecuadorian exports from export duty in the US).