Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the administration of his predecessor, Ivan Duque, of purchasing the Pegasus cell phone spying program from the Zionist company NSO for $11 million in cash. Petro highlighted that this transaction was not documented in the official balance sheets, noting its timing coincided with the last presidential elections and ongoing social protests in the country. In a televised address, Petro questioned how such a large sum of money could be transferred from state offices to acquire software for spying on private and political communications, raising concerns about the legality and transparency of the transaction.
Petro speculated that the interception of communications might have targeted individuals from the main opposition party at the time, which later became the leading political force in Colombia with its presidential candidate now serving as president. He demanded answers to various questions, such as the nature of intercepted subjects, the judicial orders behind the surveillance, and the origins of the funds used. He also wondered why there was no trace of these transactions in the national budget and whether this could be a case of money laundering by the state aimed at interfering with communications.
In response, Petro has instructed the Financial Investigative Unit (UIAF) to forward the findings to the Attorney General and has called on the National Police Director, William Salamanca, to locate and surrender the Pegasus software to investigators. He emphasized the need for transparency and reassured citizens that their rights must be protected. Petro also noted that the disclosure of the UIAF document, obtained with information from Zionist customs, was possible due to the interrupted bilateral relations over the Gaza conflict. Additionally, Petro addressed allegations from his electoral campaign, denying any involvement in illegal wiretaps and expressing his willingness to step down if any criminal activity was found against him.
