Colombian security agency intensifies illegal wiretaps, intimidation

Semana cover

By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
You would think that right after the most extensive purge in its modern history, Colombia’s Administrative Department of Security (DAS) would scale down its illegal activities. But, according to the country’s leading weekly publication, Semana, illegal intelligence activities by DAS agents have intensified in recent months. In its lead article this week, the magazine says it has in its possession recordings that prove DAS continues to monitor the communications of politicians, journalists, human rights activists, union officials, and even Supreme Court Judges. Earlier this year, the Colombian government was forced to fire 33 DAS agents for illegally wiretapping the phones of several public figures, including the chief of the Colombian National Police, minister of defense Juan Manuel Santos, former President Cesar Gaviria, supreme court judges, prominent journalists, union leaders and human rights campaigners. It this week’s report, Semana says that DAS operatives are now being used by the government to intimidate members of Congress, who may have to vote in a possible referendum to permit President Alvaro Uribe to run for a third term, which is currently unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the US remains silent on the frightening resurgence of the Colombian security state. Back in February, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomed Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez Merizalde to Washington as “the representative of a country that has made so many strides and so much progress”. Perhaps more importantly for the Secretary of State, Bogotá recently sent troops and advisers to join the US war in Afghanistan, and allowed the US to deploy troops and aircraft on bases on its territory. It sounds like a deal to me.