Story highlights
- Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa says Great Britain's behavior is "unacceptable"
- "They don't realize Latin America is free and sovereign," he says
- Julian Assange has been holed up inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since June
- Ecuador granted asylum to Assange, but the U.K. does not recognize it
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Saturday defended his country's decision to grant WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange asylum, slamming Great Britain's behavior toward Ecuador as "intolerable" and "unacceptable."
Assange is currently holed up inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Ecuador offered him asylum this week, but British authorities have said they are committed to extraditing him to Sweden, where Assange is wanted to face questioning over claims of rape and sexual molestation.
The situation remains at a standoff.
"Who do they think they're dealing with?" Correa asked rhetorically of Great Britain during his weekly address. "They don't realize Latin America is free and sovereign. We won't tolerate interference, colonialism of any kind."
The president said Ecuador had sought but did not receive guarantees that Assange would not be extradited to a third country.
Assange, an Australian national, and his supporters claim a U.S. grand jury has been empaneled to consider charges against him. They fear if he is extradited to Sweden, he could be sent next to the United States.
Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – A document that says that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is to be arrested in any circumstances if he comes out of the Embassy of Ecuador is seen on a police officer's clipboard. (Editor's note: Part of the document has been pixelated by Press Association news agency.)
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – A zoomed in version of the document carried by the police officer.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Assange addresses the media and his supporters from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Sunday, August 19.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Assange demanded that the United States drop its "witch hunt" against WikiLeaks as he made his first public appearance after months effectively confined to the Embassy of Ecuador in London.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Assange talks with his legal adviser Balthasar Garcon, right, inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London before stepping onto the balcony to make his speech.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Protesters gather Thursday, August 16, outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been living since June. Ecuador announced it would grant Assange asylum over fears of political persecution.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Media gather outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after Thursday's announcement. Meanwhile, Britain vowed to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to Sweden to face questioning on sex crime charges.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Journalist John Pilger arrives to visit Assange, his friend, at the embassy in Knightsbridge.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Police stand guard outside the entrance. The British government insists the UK still has a legal obligation to extradite Assange to Sweden.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Assange supporters scuffled with police, with every moment captured by the dozens of cameramen gathered outside.
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Photos: Photos: WikiLeaks founder breaks his silence
What now for Assange? – Embassy staff serve coffee to the media waiting outside the building for a glimpse of Assange.
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Assange protests in London 02:47
Why did Ecuador grant Assange asylum? 02:12
Assange was arrested in Britain in 2010 because Swedish authorities wanted to question him about the allegations. Two women accused him of sexually assaulting them during an August 2010 visit to Sweden in connection with a WikiLeaks release of internal U.S. military documents. Assange denies the allegations and argues they are in retribution for his organization's disclosure of American secrets.
Publicly silent since last March, Assange is expected to speak at 2 p.m. Sunday -- two months to the day since he sought asylum -- according to WikiLeaks' official Twitter feed.
Also Sunday, foreign ministers from member states of the Union of South American Nations will convene in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to discuss the asylum situation.
Assange sought refuge at the embassy five days after the Supreme Court in Britain dismissed his bid to reopen his appeal of the decision to send him to Sweden, his last option in British courts. He is subject to arrest for breaking the terms of his bail, which required that he spend his nights at the home of a supporter outside London, police said the day after he entered the embassy.
