Nicaragua could grant political asylum to Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, according to a senior official from the Nicaraguan presidential administration.

Even though no Gaddafi's regime has not made any requests for political asylum, Bayardo Arce, adviser for economic affairs of Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega, has told reporters late Tuesday local time/ early Wednesday morning GMT that his country "would be happy" to offer asylum to the Libyan dictator, as cited by international media.

"If someone were to request asylum we would have to give a positive answer because (Nicaraguan) people were granted asylum when people were being murdered by (Nicaragua's Anasatasio) Somoza dictatorship," Arce is quoted as saying.

He did add, however, that it was unknown how Gaddafi could make it to Nicaragua, should he decide to do so, since Nicaragua did not have an embassy in Libya.

Local media have speculated Gaddafi might consider exile in Nicaragua because Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, a former leftist rebel, has been a supporter of the Libyan dictator.

Meanwhile, Gaddafi, whose regime seems on the verge of crumbling after a six-month civil war against the Libyan rebels, got moral support from his best friend in Latin America, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, and from the government of Ecuador, which followed Chavez in condemning the NATO-led air strikes against the Gaddafi forces.

On Tuesday, the government of South Africa denied reports that the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was seeking political asylum there.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!