Brazil shocked by U.S. espionage

Tovar Nunes

The government categorized as “extremely serious” the revelation of espionage in Brazil. The report was published by the newspaper O Globo, which is based on documents provided by the former analyst computer of the CIA, Edward Snowden. Brazilian authorities reported that they will ask Washington for explanations.

“We consider that’s extremely serious what has been done” in the media, said Tovar Nunes, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to AFP.

According to Nunes, the information is not official however it said “what we have seen is severe enough to consider the complaint of espionage. There will be a reaction from the Brazilian government, bilaterally request for clarification.”

According to O Globo, “There are no precise numbers, but in January, Brazil was a bit behind the United States, which had 2300 million spied calls and messages,” said the text, which was signed by Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian reporter who showed the world the PRISM spying program.

Brazil confirmed receiving last Tuesday an asylum request from Snowden, who has spent over two weeks in the transit area of an airport in Moscow, but will not respond such request.