(Photo : Edward Snowden)

He had a ticket that would bring him to Cuba the next day where he could go to countries that were willing to give him refuge like Venezuela and Bolivia but he opted not to ride the plane to Havana and instead, stayed midpoint until     August 1, where Russia offered him sanctuary.

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According to reports of the esteemed newspaper Kommersant on Monday, Snowden lingered in the Russian Consulate in Hong Kong for a couple of days before going to Moscow. The plan, said unidentified sources in the Russian government and Snowden's camp, turned out to be an attempt to reach Latin America for a refuge.

This news, if real, implies a greater involvement of the Russian government in Snowden's efforts to run away from American Justice than what the Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has acknowledged. It has also been reported in the newspaper Kommersant that Cuba was instrumental in preventing Snowden's further movements.

The Russian Foreign Ministry as well as the U.S. Embassy in Moscow declined to give reactions when asked for any comments last Monday.

Kommersant, quoting a number of "informed" sources, said that Cuba, under a great pressure from the U.S. government informed Russia that if Snowden were on board the Aeroflot flight from Moscow, they will not allow it to land in Havana. A person, quoted as someone "close to the State Department," asserted that Cuba was one of the countries cautioned not to give aid to Snowden.

Between the arrival of Snowden in Sheremetyevo's Airport in Moscow on June 23 until the time he was granted protection, the Russian government said that Snowden was only allowed to roam to the airport's transit zone, so he wasn't seen in public. In mid-July, Snowden had a closed meeting inside the airport with Human Rights groups' representatives. And after he was granted refuge, he was then permitted to leave the airport, but his whereabouts have been kept as a secret.

Since Snowden is known for his "itching tongue," the Russian Government must be very cautious when it comes to divulging secret tactics in the presence of Snowden. Remember, if he did it to his own country, he can absolutely do it to others.