Update: First Nicaragua, now Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday he had decided to offer asylum to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, who has petitioned several countries to avoid capture by Washington. "I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to the young American, Edward Snowden, so that in the fatherland of (Simon) Bolivar and (Hugo) Chavez, he can come and live away from the imperial North American persecution," Maduro told a televised parade marking Venezuela's independence day. Snowden is believed to be holed up in the transit area of a Moscow international airport.

And so the "lead investor" principle comes to the asylum world. Now everyone wants a piece of the pie.

Earlier:

Just the headline for now from AFP...

#BREAKING Nicaragua's president says he's willing to give Edward #Snowden asylum — Agence France-Presse (@AFP) July 5, 2013

We can't help but wonder how long before the US Marines invade again and take him home...

Via Reuters,

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega said on Friday that he had received an asylum request from U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden and could accept the bid "if circumstances permit."

Via LaJornada,

President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, said today ready to grant asylum to the informant and U.S. secret services specialist Edward Snowden, and said he would "be happy, if circumstances allow." Speaking at a rally against government supporters in Managua, Ortega confirmed that Snowden sought refuge in this country, through a letter delivered in recent days to the Nicaraguan embassy in Russia.

UPDATE: Via Russia Today,