The Colombian Foreign Minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, explained that the Government still has “some doubts“that I would like to clarify with the United States about its actions for the purchase of the Pegasus program, on which There are suspicions that it could have been used for political espionage.
(See: Purchase of Pegasus in Colombia: ABC to understand the turn of the case and the role of the US).
In statements to EFE in the French capital, where he participated in the Paris Forum for Peace, Murillo noted that “The United States has assumed a responsibility“for the alleged financing of the purchase of that program developed by the Israeli company NSO that allowsamong other things, extracting information from mobile phones and using them to listen to conversations.
The minister estimated that this matter was not dealt with in a transparent manner by the previous Colombian Government and it is something that worries the Foreign Ministry due to the implications for national sovereignty and “for the same good relationship we have with the United States.
(See: The United States confirms having financed the purchase of the Pegasus system).
He added that given “the cooperation so deep“between the two countries on issues such as security or the fight against transnational crime, they were surprised to have learned of the involvement of the United States and that is why they want to”Clarify it, so it doesn’t happen again.“
The minister said that this is being done “through diplomatic channels. We still have some doubts that we would like to clarify completely.“.
(See: Pegasus case: President Petro indicated that it would be a matter of ‘sovereignty’).
The controversy in Colombia was revived last week when the newspaper El Tiempo, with sources from the US Government, revealed that Washington had financed the acquisition of Pegasus as part of its collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking.
The acquisition of the software has been at the center of political attention since the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, said that his predecessor, Iván Duque, bought it in 2021, presumably to spy on opponents during social protests.
(See: Twist in Pegasus case: purchase of the software would have been made with US financing.).
EFE
