The US confirms that it financed the purchase of the Pegasus software for use in Colombia and that it was suspended for alleged improper use

( Spanish) – Senior officials of the United States Government confirmed this Friday that the country financed the purchase of the software of Pegasus espionage for use in Colombia, and that it was later suspended for alleged improper use.

In a call with journalists in which was present, they said that the funds came from Washington within the framework of a bilateral cooperation program that concluded in 2022, before the Government of President Gustavo Petro began, and that not even the current president Neither his predecessor, Iván Duque, had been notified of this acquisition. They added that the US restricted operations with the Israeli company NSO Group, manufacturer of Pegasus, once it detected possible misuses of this tool.

For his part, Colombia’s ambassador to the United States, Daniel García-Peña, said that he met privately this Friday with US officials, who confirmed the financing and suspension after US authorities expressed “suspicions” of its improper use. .

“There are still many doubts about what happened. What they assured us is that, indeed, they were North American resources used for the acquisition of the software Pegasus,” said the ambassador.

The diplomat assured that this purchase was part of a cooperation program between both governments to combat drug trafficking and that Pegasus should be used “exclusively for the Colombian and Mexican drug cartels.” He added that — officials told him — when U.S. authorities “began to suspect” Pegasus was being misused globally, they suspended its use.

García-Peña added that they asked the US for more information about how Pegasus was used in the country.

“We have to know everything that happened and that the information that was collected by this software We in Colombia have the right (to know it), but also the North American taxpayers, because North American funds were used for the purchase of this software”, he noted.

The purchase of Pegasus with US resources was reported on Thursday by the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. Petro has shared and responded to messages from other users regarding the news on the X network, but has not referred directly. At an event with the military this Friday, he said: “Cyber ​​defense is not the same as espionage.”

In Colombia, the use of Pegasus has generated controversy throughout this year. In September, Petro accused that Duque’s government allegedly paid US$11 million in cash to NSO Group for the purchase of Pegasus, an operation that he disqualified and — he said — was intended to spy on political opponents. Following this statement, the Colombian Attorney General’s Office reported that it would open an investigation to determine whether there were irregularities in the acquisition or use of Pegasus, which remains ongoing. Meanwhile, former Duque officials dismissed Petro’s allegations and considered them to be “a smokescreen.”

The company NSO Group has previously stated that it only sells its software to governments or government agencies and that does not intervene in the way in which it is used. has reached out to the company for comment and is awaiting a response.

has reached out to former President Duque’s team for comment and is awaiting a response.