By Ingrid Bachmann
Colombia’s Minster of Interior and Justice, Germán Vargas Lleras, has proposed declasifying secret intelligence agency reports on illegal espionage against politicians, judges, journalists, and human rights activists, EFE reports.
Political parties and members of President Juan Manuel Santos’ government hailed the willingness of authorities to make transparent the scope of the spying done by the Administrative Security Department (DAS), Colombia's intelligence service,. However, they also warned that the release should be treated carefully, as to not damage the ongoing criminal investigation, El Nuevo Siglo and El Tiempo report.
The illegal wiretapping scandal broke in 2009 and recently took on new relevance as media reports this weekend revealed that both President Santos and Minister Vargas Lleras were victims of DAS espionage.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
