The mother of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrived in Ecuador Saturday for talks with top government officials after her son had found refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy in London, a government website reported.
Christine Assange "is visiting Ecuador in order to protect the life of her son," said the site El Ciudadano. Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino is due to meet with Christine Assange on Monday to discuss her son's application for asylum in the Latin American nation, the foreign ministry said.
Ecuador will respond to Assange's request on August 12, Patino said, after the 2012 London Olympics. "We will take decisions that do not affect our relations with Britain," Patino said, explaining that Quito would be careful not to disrupt the Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Christina Assange told El Ciudadano she was thankful to the government of Ecuador for the shelter it had given her son. "I am sure the president and his aides will make the best decision in this case," she said. Julian Assange, 41, is seeking asylum in Ecuador to avoid his extradition to Sweden, where he is accused of sexual assault.