The status of Edward Snowden's bid for asylum in Venezuela remained unclear Tuesday after the country's apparent deadline passed.
The Venezuelan Embassy in Moscow said it had no information on whether the fugitive NSA leaker had completed a deal that would allow him to leave the transit area of an airport in the Russian capital.
In Caracas, President Nicolas Maduro confirmed late Monday that Venezuela had received an official request for asylum from Snowden, telling reporters at a news conference that the self-declared leaker "will need to decide when he will fly here," according to Russia Today.
Even if Snowden agrees to an asylum deal with Venezuela, travel problems could take time to resolve: His U.S. passport has been canceled and U.S. allies may deny airspace to any flight on which he is believed to be traveling.
The Caracas offer was made in defiance of Washington and U.S. prosecutors who accuse Snowden of leaking classified documents that revealed the vast scale of the PRISM surveillance programs run by the NSA.
Bolivia and Nicaragua have also publicly offered to give safe passage to Snowden, who applied to at least 20 countries for asylum on the basis that he was a whistle-blower.
The 30-year-old former defense contractor is believed to be hiding at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport as the United States seeks to have him extradited.
More from NBC News:
Analysis: Asylum Deadline Looms for Snowden; Might He Stay in Russia?
European Parliament Launches 'In-Depth' Inquiry Into US Spying
Snowden Attempts to Navigate Legal Labyrinth