Quito slams UK threat to storm embassy - Gayo Lues

“Never, as long as I am president, will Ecuador accept threats like these, which are absolutely vulgar, inconsiderate and intolerable,” Correa said in a statement issued on Saturday.

He added that Ecuador would defend its sovereignty and that it had the last say in connection with the arrest of Assange, who has been granted asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy.

On Wednesday, Ecuador said Britain had informed Quito that it was ready to arrest Assange to extradite him to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over sexual assault charges.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday that London was “determined to carry out our legal obligation,” under its own laws, to extradite the Australian national to Sweden.

Assange, who denies the charges, has expressed concern that Sweden could extradite him to the United States, where the government regards his whistleblower website as a national security threat.

Assange took refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on June 19 after embarking on a marathon round of court battles, in which he exhausted all his options under British law when the Supreme Court rejected his appeal against extradition earlier in the month.

After Ecuador approved Assange’s request for asylum, the British police deployed forces outside the embassy in order to prevent him from leaving the country and travelling to Ecuador to take asylum.

MRS/HGL