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Former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has pledged to help Brazil to investigate the NSA spying activities, the country’s biggest newspaper reports. Mr Snowden wrote in an open letter to the Brazilian people that he would be willing to help Brazil’s government investigate US spying on its soil, which would only be possible if he was granted asylum in this country. Snowden’s letter was published one day after a US district judge ruled that NSA’s programme for bulk phone record collection contradicts the Constitution. The case is likely to go all the way to the Supreme Court for a final decision. The Voice of Russia spoke with Angelo Segrillo, Professor of History at the University of Sao Paolo.

- Do you think Brazil might actually end up granting Snowden asylum?

- It’s a complicated matter. I think it’s natural for Snowden to ask asylum since his partners are here, the journalists that help him are here. But the problem is that the current government of Brazil, the president of Brazil Dilma Rousseff is having some political problems because it is the beginning of economic crisis, and there is a lot of pressure from part of the political spectrum. And they will try to avoid problems with the US because the previous president Lula da Silva had a very assertive foreign policy and sometimes he contradicted the US in some questions. And part of the political spectrum supported him and part criticized. Snowden asked the asylum before to Brazil, Bolivia and other countries of South America. Brazil did not respond in the beginning. The initial reply was that we are not granting the asylum. But it looks like now there will be a public campaign in favor of that. If there is a lot of pressure from below the situation might change.

- A US federal judge has ruled that NSA phone data collection contradicts the Fourth Amendment. Is it possible that this case could lead to significant limits being imposed on NSA’s intelligence gathering? How would that affect Edward Snowden’s situation, would it facilitate his cooperation with Brazil?

- Brazil has enormous interests in pursuing all the things that Snowden knows but the ideal situation for the Brazilian government right now is to use Snowden’s help from the distance. I think that would be ideal situation and that is what government is thinking about right now. But as I told you the situation might change due to internal pressure from Brazil. And people start aggressive movement for the support, and also this external developments like you have just said, all the things going all the way up to Supreme Court, that might change the whole situation for Snowden both in Brazil and in the US. But again I think it is still a long way to go.

- How much public support is there for Snowden right now?

- There is a strong public support for him first of all because people might agree philosophically that he was right, but also because there were cases against Brazil. They not only spied on the president of the country but they also spied on the commercial structure, Petro Braz, which is half governmental, half private company. And that has nothing to do with terrorism, that was actually clearly them using the tool against terrorism for them to do economic spying. So in Brazil everybody is against the US government.

- You just mentioned the economic situation in the country not being great and Petro Braz has a huge impact on that. Do you think that it will significantly affect the US-Brazil relations in future? And if they get to the bottom of what was done in terms of commercial spying on government officials and on the general public, are they going to take any steps, any sanctions towards the US?

- I think that yes, it is possible, it is legally possible. The situation with Petro Braz is very sensitive because in Brazil large oil reserves are very deeply into the sea and nobody knows exactly and that’s why the spying is so important. And it is a complete secret of what they have measured so far. That’s why it is so important with the spying and yes, that is a possibility. But again, I think it is in a long run. Nobody knows exactly what’s going on now because the US government denied the information. But I think, again, in the long run, the situation will turn in favor for Snowden.

- Do you see a lawsuit being filed against the US? Do you think if that happens, it might lead for Snowden giving testimony against the US?

- Here it is against, see here there is a difference between the law and the politics. Legally it is possible but politically it will be hard. As I said Brazil in the difficult situation because for one thing, Brazil was injured by the US with spying, but on the other hand, Brazil wants to keep good relationship with the US, especially commercially, especially during those times of economic crisis. So they are running very fine balance. I think in the short run it is better to do those moves though the UN, like the ones that Brazil started with Germany, like a more general move with other countries, in order to start movement towards the international regulations, a more general regulation.

- Is it basically how you see the situation developing, they are not going to ruin relations with the US because they are still dependent on the US?

- I think they will be careful, Brazil and South America will be. I think the situation is changing now with China, I think they are still depending economically and politically on the West, except countries like Venezuela, Bolivia that are more outspoken. Other countries, they stick to a more careful line. I think the short run they will be more careful. But in the long run, when the situation favors Snowden, then the situation might change and more concrete actions will be taken.

- Do people know that Snowden wrote a letter to the public? Is it being discussed in Brazil?

- Yes, I think this letter reached today or yesterday so I believe tonight it will be all over the news because not a lot of people in Brazil read newspapers. They usually get the news later on through TV and it will definitely be on the news tonight.