Venezuela has offered asylum to fugitive US intelligence seeker Edward Snowden, who has petitioned several countries to avoid capture by Washington.

Snowden, who has taken temporary refuge in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, has asked over 20 countries for protection from US espionage charges.

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro made the announcement during a military parade marking the country's independence day.

"In the name of America's dignity ... I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to 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," he said,

"He has told the truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the US spying on the whole world.

Who is Edward Snowden? Former CIA contractor who leaked information about US spy agencies

Former CIA contractor who leaked information about US spy agencies He worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) for the last four years

He worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) for the last four years Was employed by various outside contractors, including tech consultancy Booz Allen and computer company Dell

Was employed by various outside contractors, including tech consultancy Booz Allen and computer company Dell He copied secret documents at the NSA office in Hawaii

He copied secret documents at the NSA office in Hawaii He leaked the documents, which expose how the NSA gains information using a secret program called PRISM

He leaked the documents, which expose how the NSA gains information using a secret program called PRISM Says he leaked the data because he was worried about privacy and internet freedom

"Who is the guilty one? A young man ... who denounces war plans, or the US government. Who is the terrorist? Who is the global delinquent?"

The White House has declined to comment on Venezuela's offer of asylum.

Mr Maduro's announcement came after a similar statement from Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega, who said he would offer Snowden asylum if circumstances permitted.

Mr Ortega said his government received an asylum application at its Moscow embassy.

Wikileaks said Snowden had applied for asylum in six further countries after several countries knocked him back.

Russia has been showing signs of growing impatience over Snowden's stay in Moscow.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that the 30-year-old former National Security Agency contractor had to "choose a place to go".

Mr Ryabkov said Russia would not be able to solve Snowden's problems and called for the situation to be resolved "one way or the other".

Washington has revoked the passport of Snowden, who has been on the run from authorities since leaking vast amounts of intelligence data in one of the largest security breaches in US history.

Snowden abandoned his high-paying intelligence contractor job in Hawaii and went to Hong Kong on May 20 to begin issuing a series of leaks on the National Security Agency.

He revealed it has access to vast amounts of internet data such as emails, chat rooms and video under a government program known as PRISM.

Snowden's supporters say he is a whistleblower, while critics call him a criminal and perhaps even a traitor.

Protesters gather across Australia demanding privacy

Meanwhile, protesters have gathered in several cities across Australia demanding the government protect the privacy of internet users, following Snowden's revelations that the US National Security Agency is spying on users' private communications.

The organiser of the protests, The Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition, said around 200 people protested in each city.

The Coalition's Matt Watt said the protesters would continue to pressure the government.

"I do understand that these agencies do have a job to do, but not at the loss of complete privacy online for everyone," Mr Watt said.

"They're recording every message, every email, every phone call that's made, and your privacy has gone completely down the drain."

ABC/wires