The U.S. government announced Tuesday that it willl suspend funding to scandal-ridden Colombian intelligence agency DAS, because of the organization’s illegal wiretapping of journalists, politicians, magistrates, human rights defenders and trade unionists.
U.S Ambassador to Colombia William Brownfield told journalists that “the United States government has decided to transfer its collaboration to other institutions, specifically the police.”
Brownfield added that his government would check that “none of its collaboration [to DAS] has been used in illicit activities.”
DAS director Felipe Muñoz recognized that his agency’s wiretapping scandal had had an impact on its relationship with Washington, but added that the restructuring of the agency had lowered its funding needs.
The Colombian presidency has been implicated in the scandal.
Following Brownfield’s announcement, the Colombian government issued a press release asserting that it “has never ordered shady or illegal practices and those who engage in such practices should be tried and sent to prison.”