Ecuador has been the primary force preventing British authorities from arresting and extraditing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and now they have been forced to admit negotiations with Britain's government have failed.
Assange has been living under the protection of the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over five years.
Friday, the South American country's foreign minister admitted negotiations have failed. "On the issue of mediation, I have to say very honestly that it has not been successful because two parties are needed to mediate. Ecuador is willing, by not necessarily the other party," said Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa.
Hope isn't lost for Assange yet, Foreign Minister Espinosa said she her country would "continue looking for mechanisms" to try and solve the standoff. Last week, Assange lost a legal battle in court in hopes of having an English arrest warrant against him overturned.
A judge at a London court rejected Assange's attorneys' argument that upholding an arrest warrant was no longer in the public interest. The judge ruled against Assange and his legal team and said, "arrest is a proportionate response."
The WikiLeaks founder was awaiting extradition to Sweden over a 2010 investigation into claims of rape and sexual assault when he sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy.
The move breached his bail conditions and the British government has been watching the embassy like a hawk ever since costing taxpayers millions of dollars in surveillance costs.
Related coverage: <a href="https://thegoldwater.com/news/16865-Julian-Assange-Could-Walk-Free-After-Five-Years-In-The-Ecuadorian-Embassy">Julian Assange Could Walk Free After Five Years In The Ecuadorian Embassy</a>
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Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ecuador-admits-failure-of-assange-efforts-fm/ar-BBJvlne
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