BRASILIA: Irate Latin American nations are demanding explanations from the US about new allegations that it spied on both allies and foes in the region with secret surveillance programmes.
A leading Brazilian newspaper reported on Tuesday that the US National Security Agency targeted most Latin American countries with spying programmes that monitored Internet traffic, especially in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico.
Citing documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the fugitive former US intelligence contractor, O Globo newspaper said the NSA programmes went beyond military affairs to what it termed “commercial secrets,” including oil and energy resources.
Regional leaders called for a tough response to the alleged espionage that O Globo said included a satellite monitoring stations based in Brazil’s capital.
“A shiver ran down my back when I learned that they are spying on all of us,” Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said in a speech on Tuesday.
She called on the Mercosur bloc of South American nations, due to meet on Friday, to issue a strong statement and demand explanations from Washington. “More than revelations, these are confirmations of what we thought was happening,” she said. Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, who has emerged as a close US ally, said the reported spying was worrisome.
“We are against these kinds of espionage activities,” he said in a televised interview. “It would be good for (Peru’s) Congress to look with concern at privacy issues related to personal information.”
Brazil’s government said it set up a task force of its defense, communications, justice and foreign affairs ministries to investigate the alleged espionage and establish whether the privacy of Brazilian citizens had been violated.
The Brazilian Senate’s foreign relations committee has asked US ambassador Thomas Shannon to testify on the allegations. It is unclear whether Shannon, who is not obliged to testify, will do so.
Gilberto Carvalho, a top aide to President Dilma Rousseff, said a “very hard” response to the United States was needed. “If we lower our heads, they will trample all over us tomorrow,” he said.
The espionage allegations surfaced one week after South American nations were outraged by the diversion of Bolivian President Evo Morales’ plane in Europe because of the suspicion that Snowden was on board.
Reuters
