US funds Colombia's Pegasus acquisition without Duque's knowledge

The United States financed the purchase of Israeli spy software Pegasus for Colombian security forces in 2020, a senior US official said Friday, a move made without informing then-President Ivan Duque.

The US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, corroborated a report in the Colombian daily newspaper El Tiempo that the software was used to investigate drug traffickers.

The official denied the use of the software – which can remotely access messages, calls and files on a phone, as well as activate its microphone and camera – for any other purpose.

He added that Washington had “no information” to suggest that the software had been used to spy on politicians, and that the US had implemented “strict protocols” on the use of the software after it was purchased for $11 million from its Israeli manufacturer, NSO Group.

In September, leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro denounced the illegal purchase of the software, saying it could be used to “intercept communications” by political leaders and activists under rightwing Duque’s government.

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In 2021, international media reported the Pegasus software had been used to spy on hundreds of politicians, journalists, activists and business leaders.

After the news of Pegasus came to light, the US terminated the program before Petro came to power in 2022, never informing him of its acquisition, according to the US source.