Colombian President Denounces Previous Administration For Purchase of “Pegasus” Spyware To Track Journalists, Activists, Dissidents

The past September 4th, President Gustavo Petro denounced that the previous government had illegally purchased the espionage program, Pegasus; but the previous president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, disavows anything to do with the spyware.

Pegasus is software developed by an Israeli company, that has been used to illegally intercept journalists, activists, government opponents and politicians in more than 40 countries. It is designed to infiltrate mobile phones, extracting data such as messages, photos and even activate the camera and microphone without the user’s knowledge.

Pegasus is Israeli-developed malware that can infect Android and Apple mobile devices and spy on users, pilfering messages, photographs and emails, and even record calls, audio and video.

According to the president, this spyware was acquired during Ivan Duque’s government, the president prior Petro’s election, and raised concerns about whether this program was used to monitor political opponents, including his own campaign.

Gustavo Petro, in his X account, also added that “In a plane in June 2021, five and a half million dollars were sent to Tel Aviv and, after being registered at Israeli customs, were deposited in a bank that alerted IMPA due to suspicions about their illicit origin. Then, a bank transaction took place in September 2021 for another five and a half million dollars to complete the purchase. The official agency IMPA states that the transaction was between the national police of Colombia and NSO in Israel.”

Details of the alleged purchase

In march of this year, the diary Haaretz released an article confirming that the colombian government did indeed buy this spyware, and that Yair Kulas, the head of Defense Ministry’s export assistance department, took part in this transaction.

“The Colombian government asked that its payment to be in cash – $13 million. And the haul would be flown to Israel by private jet,” says the article.

Gur Meggido, from this diary, recently talked with the journalist Julio Sánchez Cristo about his investigation regarding the acquisition by the colombian government of Pegasus. In this conversation, Meggido pointed out that it is difficult to deny the existence of this agreement between Colombia and Israel, as the company behind Pegasus did not refute it, and the Israeli Ministry of Defense authorized the sale.

Investigations regarding Pegasus Continue

Jorge Lemus, the Director of Colombia’s National Intelligence Directorate, argues that “there is no evidence that the Colombian government acquired such software.” Also, the Directorate of National Intelligence released a document to contradict what Gustavo Petro said. “There are no contractual processes, equipment, or Pegasus software within the Police Intelligence Directorate. Likewise, no funds have been allocated or assigned for the acquisition of the mentioned software.”

Read the document here (Spanish).

Luz Adriana Camargo, Colombia’s attorney general, during a press encounter also said that “We don’t have evidence that this has happened; we still don’t have that evidence. We are identifying whether that software existed. This type of software is very sophisticated and normally doesn’t leave a trace.”

Nonetheless, the prosecutor’s office stated that “investigative actions were initiated to establish the truth and the eventual identification and individualization of those responsible for the possible illegal acquisition and use of the Pegasus spyware.”