The United States’ ambassador to Colombia said Wednesday that his country’s intelligence agency NSA’s spying schemes are also in the interest of the South American country.
Ambassador Michael McKinley responded to concerns of the Colombian government over media reports the NSA has been spying on Colombian citizens and businesses.
MORE: Colombia Rejects NSA Spying, Demands Explanation
McKinley told radio station Blu that Washington will establish a dialogue with Bogota through diplomatic channels to ease the concerns.
The ambassador made clear that the US are open to discussions with the Colombian government, stating that “we believe it is important to respond to concerns.”
McKinley defended the intelligence gathering operations, stating “we gather information to protect our citizens and to provide information to our allies.”
“We collect information about common interests with partner countries and allies. The information has yielded significant results in the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism and should not be overlooked,” the ambassador added.
On Tuesday, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that Colombia was one of the NSA’s main surveillance targets in Latin America. The foreign ministry responded, rejecting “acts of espionage that violate the right to privacy of individuals, and of international conventions.”
MORE: Colombia NSA’s 3rd Most Spied On Country In Latin America
Sources
- “Información de inteligencia de EE.UU. ha dado resultados” (Elespectador)
- Embajador de EE.UU. en Colombia: “información de inteligencia ha dado resultados” (America Economia)