Edward Snowden given possible lifeline as Bolivia hints it would grant asylum Vladimir Putin and Evo Morales met on Tuesday. Photograph: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters Bolivia threw a possible lifeline to the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden on Tuesday, telling Russian television it would consider granting him political asylum to escape from what it called the espionage network of the US "empire." As other options began to fade for Snowden, trapped in the transit zone of a Moscow airport, Bolivian president Evo Morales said his country was keen to "shield the denounced." His comments were echoed by favourable noises from the Venezuelan government, another possible exit route for the former NSA contractor. President Nicolas Maduro said Caracas was also ready to consider Snowden's asylum should he ask for it. Who must protect Snowden? This is the question. This young man of 29 was brave enough to say that we need to protect the world from the American imperial elite, so who should protect him? Maduro added in response to a question from journalists covering a ceremony to rename a Moscow street after Hugo Chávez. All of mankind, people all over the world must protect him. Maduro and Morales are in Moscow to take part in a summit of gas exporting countries. In Washington, the US State Department said it was "hopeful" Snowden would be returned to the US to face charges of espionage and theft after a string of other countries said they would be not accept Snowden's petition for asylum. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also rejected claims made by Snowden on Monday the US had bullied other potential hosts such as Ecuador into withdrawing their offer of asylum. The State Department says such as response is normal when a US citizen attempts to flee arrest in this way. In his public statements, Lon Snowden expressed concern about the role of WikiLeaks in his son's affairs. Fein told the AP that he was working to establish a direct link between father and son that did not require WikiLeaks as an intermediary.